


Heart of July

by Dalish_Adrift



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: #RayllumMonth2019, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, One Shot Collection, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-06-02 12:45:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 35,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19441741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dalish_Adrift/pseuds/Dalish_Adrift
Summary: Happy Rayllum Month everyone. Enjoy.





	1. Beach Day

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my NEWS outlet (New Episode Withdrawal Syndrome)

“This is a bad idea. It’s too open here, we’re sure to be spotted.” Rayla crouched low behind the small rocky outcropping, one of many that dotted the arid landscape. The formations had been larger and better suited for shelter when they had first entered Xadia, but had become smaller and further apart the farther they traveled. They were little more than boulders at this point.

“An hour ago you said this place is pretty much devoid of any civilization.”

“Yeah, ‘pretty much’,” she said, eyeing the nearby oasis. “As in ‘most likely’ not ‘definitely’. We shouldn’t be taking risks like this.”

Callum sat up from where he had been resting against the shaded stone, displacing Zym in the process. He crossed his arms. “I think you’re just trying to get out of your end of the bargain,” he said with a smug grin.

Rayla rolled her eyes with enough force to carry her head with them as a pronounced “Ughhh” escaped her lips.

“C’mon, I’ve been keeping pace with you all day…mostly. And we’ve been making great time!” he added before she could remind him that she would normally be moving a lot faster. “But if going for a swim wasn’t a necessity before, it definitely is now. I’m surprised Sol Regem can’t smell me from here.”

Rayla made a face. “ _Fine,_ ” she relented. “Just… wait here and let me scout ahead. Just to be safe.”

Callum shrugged and resumed his much-needed break. Zym, feeling well enough rested, started to hop after Rayla.

“Oh no you don’t. You’re staying right here, out of sight till I get back.”

The baby drooped his head with a disappointed whine, but obediently trotted back over to Callum.

\-----

“Alright… I didn’t find anything troublesome, other than some venomous lizards you’ll want to keep an eye out for, and---Callum, are you sleeping?” When she didn’t get a response she lightly kicked him in the ribs.

“AHHwhat, what is it?” He said, jerking awake instantly.

“How can you be sleeping? You’re a human in Xadia, you can’t just assume you’re safe,” She said incredulously, looking around. “Where’s Zym?”

“Uh…,” Callum managed as he looked around franticly. “That’s a very good question.”

“I can’t believe you---“ rayla started before her ears caught the sound of water splashing. Callum followed her gaze to the small lake, where a very happy little dragon was pouncing on what was presumably his reflection. Rayla’s sigh was audible. “Go on then,” she said, nodding toward the water. Callum was pretty sure there was a hidden message in her tone: _You let him out of your sight, you get to fetch him._ He gave her a sheepish grin before briskly walking toward the shore.

Callum was surprised at how different this lake looked compared to the ones back home. There was no sand or mud. The rocky ground simply sunk into a large bowl under amazingly clear water. There didn’t seem to be any animal life, but near the bottom he could see a number of red fronds clustering in the crevices between stones. Zym splashed toward him happily, pouncing at his feet and tugging his pant leg.

“Oh, do you want me to join you for a swim?” Callum laughed. “Alright, you’ve convinced me.” He removed his boots, socks, and jacket. He almost removed more before he remembered the company he kept. He turned his head to see Rayla approaching the water cautiously as she prepared to refill their travel supply. “Hey, Rayla?”

“Hm?”

“Would you be offended if I swam in my smallclothes?”

She looked up at him.”What? No, I…why would you think that?” She asked. She sounded oddly unsure of herself.

“Oh, well…I don’t know what elves typically swim in, but humans have special clothes for it. They’re lighter than regular clothes but a lot more modest than swimming in your underwear,” He explained, looking a little embarrassed about having to describe basic human modesty to a non-human.

Rayla visibly relaxed, looking more like her normal self as she nodded thoughtfully. She shrugged. “Elves swim naked so I suppose that would be the least offensive,” she replied, nonchalant.

“R-really?” She watched the color drain from his face before returning in a blush that spread up from his neck and across his cheeks. She erupted with laughter.

“Nah, not really,” she said when she was capable of speech again. Callum made the irritated face he always does when she’s gotten the better of him. “In all honesty, it doesn’t matter what you swim in. Elves that willingly choose to submerge themselves in inhospitable liquid usually do so in whatever they find comfortable. We don’t have special clothes for it or anything.”

“Oh, uh… great. Ok then,” he sighed, turning away from her and shyly tugging at his trousers.

“Some of us do like to swim naked though,” Rayla added matter-of-factly. Callum tripped and fell with a splash in front of an eager Zym. Rayla chuckled to herself until Callum sent a gust of wind in her direction, sending a significant splash crashing over her. It was Callum’s turn to laugh.


	2. Stargazing

The day’s walk was _finally_ over. Callum plopped down unceremoniously on a bed of some sort of short grass that reminded him of clover, leaning against the trunk of the willow tree that was their shelter for the evening. There was a pleasant breeze, and it blew the feathery branches enough that Callum could easily view the wilds beyond. The sun was just starting to sink beneath the distant mountains of Katolis, painting the horizon with a bright pink glow that faded into the foggy peaks. Naturally the only choice Callum had was to open his sketchbook.

“Ahem,” said the mildly irritated shadow now standing over him. He looked up at Rayla and smiled.

“What? You can’t expect me _not_ to draw that,” he said, gesturing at the scene before them. Rayla followed his gaze, and surprisingly took in the view for a moment before she spoke again.

“Very well, I’ll go searching for food myself this time,” she said, trying to resist Callum’s contagious smile. She crossed her arms and, slightly louder, added “But that means _you_ get to babysit the Wandering Terror.”

Zym squealed in glee at his recently acquired nickname, jumping from the low branch of a tree about thirty meters away. He successfully glided halfway back to his caretakers before landing clumsily and sprinting the rest of the way.

“Thanks Rayla,” he said. He was still smiling, but more now from the Wandering Terror gnawing on his boot than at the sunset. “I promise I’ll be more useful tomorrow evening.” And just like that, his full attention was turned to his charcoal and paper.

“Yeah, ok…” she mused. “But seriously, you need to keep your wits about you. He’s gotten away from you before,” she reminded him. “Not only that, but you need to be aware of your surroundings. You never know when some wild animal or traveler will show up and take you by surprise.”

Callum crossed his legs around the little dragon still trying to make dinner of his foot, as if to demonstrate how he could easily handle him while drawing. “Got it,” he said, not looking up from his sketch.

Rayla sighed at her futile effort to keep him alert. She turned from him, determined to fully scout the area before even thinking about foraging for food. If she didn’t… as much as she trusted Callum with most things, noticing a surprise attack was not one of them. At least he had Zym to help keep an eye out for trouble. If Zym didn’t wander off…

Rayla shook away her worried thoughts and circled the nearby landscape carefully. The rocky canyon that had welcomed them into Xadia had eventually given way to sparse vegetation, then grasslands. Now the air was more humid, and the grass was becoming greener as spindly shrubs gave way to small trees. Rayla could see the shadow of the true forest in the distance, but here the trees were less dense. Most were not even big enough to climb for a vantage point. They were lucky to have found the willow, or else they would have been completely out in the open.

After some time, Rayla finally found a taller tree. It’s branches were thin and threatened to break under her weight, but she managed to make it high enough that she could see over the other scattered trees. She was pleased with herself when she spotted their willow tree with little effort. She didn’t see any sign of Callum or Zym, so she assumed that they were still safely hidden behind the weeping branches. She scanned the area for anything out of the ordinary, and found the scene to be non-threatening. She spotted a milkfruit bush, and she grinned smugly. “Good thing I’m so skilled at spotting things in the dark.”

The sun had fully set over the horizon now, and the last vestiges of color were retreating in the wake of night. Rayla breathed deeply of the sweet-smelling breeze, and felt a spike of energy as the moonlight bathed her in its soft glow. It was waxing, half of its face visible to the world.

Suddenly a streak of light caught her eye. A falling star. It was gone before she was sure she had seen it, but then another streaked across her vision. A few seconds later, another. It seemed almost every second or two that one would flair brilliantly before disappearing into the darkness. She stared in awe. She vaguely remembered Runaan showing her such a thing when she was small, maybe six or seven years old.

After a moment she remembered the willow tree and who waited there. She leaped gracefully from her perch on the tree, heading back “home” after a quick detour to the milkfruit bush.

“Are you tired already?” She said to her hopeless boys. Callum was lying down on his back, eyes closed and sketchbook closed at his side. Zym was curled up on top of him, awake but with drowsy eyes. “Did drawing take that much out of you?”

Callum opened his eyes and peered up at her. He didn’t look like he had closed them for long, and he sat up with enough energy that she was convinced he hadn’t just woken up. “Nah, I learned my lesson last time,” he said with a grin, patting the Wandering Terror on his fluffy head. “It just got difficult to see what I was drawing. Did you find anything interesting?”

“Two things, in fact. First,” she held up the sack she used for gathering and dumped the milkfruit in a pile beside Callum. Zym was wide awake now, investigating their dinner. He seemed to enjoy fruits and berries, though he usually supplemented his diet with insects and grubs as they traveled.

Callum picked up one of the fruits to investigate for himself. “It looks like milkfruit. But different?” He guessed, assuming Rayla had some sort of answer.

She shrugged. “I think maybe Xadia just has a slightly different variety.”

“Maybe when the Breach divided the land it also divided milkfruit bushes,” he said. It sounded like such a dumb statement, but Callum’s expression was far away as if he were deep in thought.

“Aren’t you curious about the second thing I found?”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Yes I am. What is the second thing?”

Rayla grinned widely. “Wait till you see this,” she said, pulling back the curtain of leaves.

Callum squinted, trying to see whatever there was to see in the dark. He could make out the silhouettes of nearby trees, the wind blowing the grass like an undulating shadow, and the faint glow of the Breach in the distance. “What am I seeing, exactly?”

“Look up,” Rayla said, amused. He did, and she watched his eyes slowly go wide at the sight of the night sky. She was almost certain she could see some of those stars reflecting in them.

“Oh wow,” he finally managed, rising to stand next to Rayla. They were quiet for a few minutes, simply enjoying the peace. When Zym was finished picking at the milk fruit he started rubbing against Callum’s leg, bringing him out of his reverie. “You know,” he said, reaching down to pick up Zym. The dragon cooed in his arms, then looked up to join in the stargazing. “We used to watch the sky all the time during the summer. Me, Ezran, King Harrow… even Soren and Claudia and their dad joined us sometimes.” His face fell a little. The siblings’ betrayal was a wound that still needed healing.

Rayla looked at him but remained quiet, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts and trying not to look as eager as she was to learn more about his past. He stood there for a moment, just holding Zym and looking at the stars.

“Their dad kept track of stuff like this… The way the stars move during the different seasons, how much daylight there was on a given day, that sort of thing. I think he probably used that information for something magic-related, but he always told my stepdad when something cool was going to happen,” he said, smiling fondly at the memory. “We saw a lot of shooting stars together, but there was only one time I can remember when there was an actual star shower like this.” His eyes never left the sky. He didn’t notice that Rayla’s gaze was similarly locked on _him_. “I think I was six, maybe? It was a year or two after my mom died. I watched it from my window. I knew about it, but I didn’t want to go out that night. I can’t remember why.” He turned to her then. She held her breath. “It was still an amazing sight, even from a window.”

Rayla was a little awestruck. It was likely the same star shower she had seen when she was a girl. What a strange feeling it was to know that back in that moment, her future best friend was watching them with her a continent away.

“I saw it too, back then. In Xadia,” she admitted.

“Really? That’s kind of amazing we both saw it,” he said, reflecting her own thoughts. Then his voice quieted. “I wonder if Ezran is watching this one right now.”

Rayla felt her ears drop a little in empathy. Without thought, she reached out and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’ll bet he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made it to day 2. I'm on a roll!


	3. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to take some creative liberties with some of these categories, so they might not be exactly what you expect. I love reading different versions of the same scene over and over, don't get me wrong. I'm just trying to think outside the box (only a little... it's a comfy box).

They stayed two nights at Rayla’s childhood home under the hospitality of her “Uncle Tinker.” It was supposed to have been a quick stop for supplies and information, in and out, but it didn’t work out that way. Though she tried to hide it, the news of Runaan’s death took a toll on Rayla’s heart. Tinker shared in her pain, of course, so he had insisted she stay a while for their mutual benefit. Rayla didn’t have the will to resist the offer.

She and her uncle held a small ceremony in Runaan’s honor. The flower that once thrived on the energy of his life force, now wilted and slimy from its time at the bottom of the pond, was planted under a sapling of Runaan’s favorite tree. The pair spent over an hour in silent meditation before Tinker spoke.

“Don’t try too hard to hold back your feelings on this, Rayla. You need to grieve, or else his death will cripple you.” His own face was streaked with silent tears. Rayla was certain he had grieved a lot more before she had arrived. He had known the moment the flower sank.

“I will,” she replied somberly, “once my mission is done. He wouldn’t have wanted his death to distract me from that.” She watched his ears drop, eyes concerned. Guilt consumed her. She couldn’t tell him what happened, that Runaan was gone forever because of her impulsiveness. He had asked her what happened to him, and had let her be when she told him she didn’t want to talk about it yet. He would hate her when he found out.

Rayla was grateful for the downtime, but even more grateful when it was time to leave. Despite Tinker’s efforts, she was uneasy and tense. Callum wasn’t helping, haven nearly blown his cover several times by constantly talking to her uncle in his “elf accent”, asking him questions that literally every elf knew the answer to. The pair seemed to get along well enough, all things considered. It was the highlight of the past couple of days.

“It was nice to meet you, Caladanis,” Tinker said to Callum, using his made-up-on-the-spot “elf” name and giving him a very human-looking handshake. She had to assume Callum had taught him that.

“Likewise, an’ thank you for lettin’ us stay, it was a nice li’l braek from the hard travelin’ we’ve been doin’. Ah hope we—HEY! Zym, drop it! Zym!” Callum lost his elf accent as he chased after the Wandering Terror, who was currently flying off with their freshly-stocked pack of travel rations.

“Your friend is a joy to have around,” Tinker laughed. “A bit of an odd one, though.”

“Yeah, first real friend I make and he’s a complete weirdo,” she said, managing a small smile through the melancholy.

Her uncle placed a hand on her shoulder. “You should talk to him. You haven’t really opened up to me, and I understand. But it could help you, just to talk to someone.”

“Maybe.” Rayla turned her attention Callum as he tried to climb a tree to reach Zym. She thought back to a few weeks ago, when he had talked to her about his dad’s death. Her situation wasn’t so different. Then again, his dad was dead because of Runaan. Maybe it was a bad idea to talk to him about this particular subject.

“He would listen to you,” her uncle said with a warm smile. “He asks if you’re doing ok every time you leave to have a moment to yourself. He knows something is wrong.”

“Figures,” she rolled her eyes just a little. “He’s always sweet like that.”

“You like him.”

Rayla suddenly felt like she had been punched in the gut by Tinker’s flat statement. She had scarcely thought about her secret feelings for the human since their arrival at her childhood home; Where had he gleaned this information? How?

“I do not!” She denied immediately, crossing her arms and looking determinedly at the mind-reader in front of her. He crossed his own arms and stared back even more determinedly, raising an eyebrow as he did so. They stayed that way for a moment before Rayla caved. “Yeah, I like him,” she sighed, her head and torso slumping in defeat.

Tinker placed his hands on his hips and beamed triumphantly. “I knew it! Why do you act like it’s such a burden?”

“Because it’s a bad idea,” she said, looking away. “It would never work.”

“Because he’s a goofball?” her Tinker suggested. She shook her head. “Or… because he’s human?”

Raylas eyes were as wide as saucers as her head whipped back toward her uncle. Her breath caught in her throat and she found herself frozen in place. _How?_

“Oh, come now Rayla. I’m not a complete fool,” he said, looking a little offended at her lack of faith in his observation skills. How naive she had been to think that Callum had somehow managed to pull off the lie. _Under_ no _circumstances is he allowed_ anywhere _near an elven town_ , she promised herself.

“Please, you can’t tell _anyone_ ,” she pleaded. Her body remained tense. “He’s an important part of the mission I’m on. I’m not just being dramatic when I say that the fate of Xadia hangs in the balance.”

“I believe you, and I wouldn’t dream of it.” He leaned in to embrace her, an attempt to alleviate her apparent fears. It worked, and she relaxed a little. His voice softened. “From the moment you arrived I could tell you trust him. I trust you and my own judgment more than I trust a thousand years of rumors and propaganda.” He pulled away from her, eyes warm and understanding. “He seems like a good person. You should talk to him.”

Rayla took a deep breath and released it heavily. “Maybe I will. Thank you.” She turned away to join Callum, who had finally wrestled the rations-sack out of Zym’s teeth. He waved goodbye to her uncle before continuing forward on their journey.

A few minutes later, Callum broke the silence. “So….Is everything ok?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got this one out with less that 2 hours left on the clock. If you live on the eastern hemisphere... looks like I'm a day late. Sorry 'bout that.


	4. Sunset Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ended up being a direct sequel to the last chapter. (So far they've all been loosely consecutive, so I think I'll try to continue that pattern and see what happens.)

Rayla hadn’t wanted to talk to Callum about anything. Not right now. She had too many thoughts plaguing her mind, too many feelings gripping her heart, and a full day’s walk ahead of them. It was a bad time, and she told him as much. He had acquiesced to her request for silent travel, but for most of the day his look was akin to that of a sad puppy. It was another thing that Rayla could add to her guilty conscience.

They found a place to settle in the early evening: A small clearing in the increasingly dense forest was carpeted with a blanket of moss and soft grasses. Rayla’s uncle had graciously loaned them a tent, which was an enormous relief not only from the elements, but also from the perception of any travelers they might come across. No one would think it strange to see an elven tent pitched in the forest.

They set up the tent in silence, foraged for food in silence, and ate in silence. The tension was high. Callum wanted to talk, Rayla knew he wanted to, and Callum knew that she was aware of his concern. Rayla’s stomach was doing summersaults as the part of her that was somewhat open to the idea of talking warred with the part of her that wanted to forget all of her stupid feelings and focus on the mission at hand.

“I’m gonna get a look at our surroundings,” Rayla said as she rose from her seat on the moss. She had already scouted the area, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t take it anymore.

Callum nodded to her as she climbed the tree closest to the tent. She found a sturdy branch about halfway up, plenty high enough to see past most of the surrounding trees. She was grateful for the breeze that gently licked at the hot, sticky air. The sun was low in the sky, barely visible behind the expanse of clouds that stretched in every direction. She watched as the light slowly dimmed. It painted the clouds like fire as it retreated.

Rayla’s ears perked up suddenly. At full attention, she glanced down toward the source of the noise to find Callum on the branch below her, Zym resting helpfully on top of his head. She noted that the tree was easy to climb, with low-hanging, near horizontal branches. It should come as no surprise that the prince was able to get to her, but she _was_ surprised that he had gotten so close without her noticing. She mentally reprimanded herself for not paying attention to her surroundings.

“We thought you could use some company,” Callum said with a small grin as he clumsily heaved himself up another branch to sit next to her. He looked at her expectantly. Zym hopped into her lap and nuzzled her hand. Rayla let out a long sigh.

“I’m sorry for being such terrible company today,” she said honestly, gaze returning westward. “I know I’m worrying you. I’ve got a lot on my mind, and I want to be open about it, but I… I dunno. I guess I feel like I can’t put everything into coherent words right now.”

Callum looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. “I think talking about what’s bothering you would take a weight off, speaking from personal experience… But there’s no reason to force your feelings out before you’re ready, either. Whatever is bothering you, you’ll eventually _want_ to talk about it.”

She blinked and met his gaze. “That was a surprising load of quality wisdom you just unleashed on me. I didn’t know you had it in you,” she said with a smirk.

“Yeah, that’s probably all I’ve got for the next week or so.” When she didn’t offer a snarky reply, he continued to fill the silence.

“I’m glad I got to meet Uncle Tinker, by the way. I know the circumstances weren’t great and all, but I’m glad we got along… I hope you’re not too angry that I almost blew our cover.”

Rayla felt an involuntary pull at the corner of her lips. The way he said “Uncle Tinker” made it seem as if he were referring to his own uncle. “No,” she replied. “I was frustrated for a while, but I’m not worried about that anymore. I’m glad that the two of you got along…especially since he saw right through your terrible act.”

Callum looked suddenly unwell. “Wait… you don’t mean that he…”

“Knows you’re _human_?” She replied, hands on her hips. “Yes, I _do_ mean. I told you not to talk unless absolutely necessary, and what do you do? You talk as much as possible.” As much as she tried to scold him, she was finding it hard to keep a straight face. “But luckily he likes you anyway, and he promised to keep your secret.”

“Oh,” he said, visibly relaxing. “You know, it may not seem like much, but that’s a good sign. Maybe all elves and humans really need to do to get along is to introduce themselves and start talking.”

For the first time in three days she wore a genuine, full smile. “It worked for us, didn’t it?”

“Prime example,” he said, beaming back at her.

Rayla could feel her heart warm from the notion. Sure, she was still troubled. She had yet to grieve for Runaan, or sort out her own insecurities. But Tinker was right: Callum was someone she could talk to. Rayla promised herself she would, when she was ready.

“I have to admit, I feel much better now,” she told him, and without warning planted a quick kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

Startled by the motion, Callum lost his balance and nearly fell off the branch. Rayla reflexively grabbed his collar and helped him back to a stable position.

“…Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

Callum brushed bits of bark and leaves from his jacket. “I’m not sure if you’re referring to kissing me or saving my life just now, but I’d prefer if you weren’t sorry about either.”

“Oh,” Rayla felt heat rising to her cheeks. “Alright, I won’t be.”

Neither of them seemed to notice the distance between them vanish as they continued to watch the light recede into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to stop doing these at the last minute...


	5. Flowers

Callum looked at the rough sketch he had made to outline the scene and, satisfied with the resulting image, closed the book. He would remember enough of the details to finish the work later. Right now he wanted to enjoy being in the present. From his resting place on a flat protrusion of stone, he could see the entirety of the past two days’ travel. The forest below gave way to miles of rocky meadow that encompassed the mountainside in a colorful bloom of mixed wildflowers. The air was perfectly warm, and the light breeze that rippled across the flora stirred up a wave of pleasant scents in its wake.

It wasn’t often he could convince Rayla to stop for a significant mid-day rest. He was going to enjoy it.

Despite trying to live in the moment, after several minutes Callum’s thoughts drifted to memories of his mother. He absentmindedly fiddled with some nearby blossoms. She would have loved this place, he thought, recalling how she had enjoyed making flower crowns for him when she was young. He’d never been able to pull it off as well as she did, so Ezran had grown up with sub-par craftsmanship adorning his fluffy head. Callum wished his brother was here now. Maybe he’d be able to manage a crown fit for a king, with all the varieties and colors available.

“What are you making?” Rayla asked as she approached from behind. She was carrying a bundle of what looked like various weeds. Zym was by her side, proudly displaying a smaller bundle in his jaws.

Callum was confused for a moment before he looked down at his hands. Apparently he had started linking a few flowers out of habit.

“Oh. I guess I was trying to make a flower crown,” he said, giving the small chain in his hands a disappointed frown. “I don’t suppose you have any pointers?”

“I’ve always been terrible at making those,” she admitted, “but at least I can tell you to stay away from this one.” Careful not to untie the others, she gently removed one of the flowers from the link and handed it back to Callum. “Human weed.”

Callum gave the flower a closer look. It sat atop a tall, naked stem. The center was a raised conical shape made of a translucent membrane. Several tiny round petals surrounded the base, red and iridescent in the sunlight.

“What? Is it poisonous or something?”

“Nah, nothing as bad as that,” she said with a mischievous grin.

“What’s wrong with it then? And why is it called human weed?”

“Well, everyone knows that humans appear weak and unassuming, but in reality they’re cruel, rude, and generally unpleasant,” she explained, exaggerating her tone and hand gestures for dramatic effect. She took the flower back from him. “Human weed is mildly pretty. It doesn’t have thorns or prickly hairs, and it isn’t poisonous. But…”

Callum watched as she bent the long, stiff stem around itself in a practiced manner. Then she pulled on part of it, and the blossom shot forward like an arrow. It landed with a small _splat_ on the rock directly in front of Callum.

“Okayyy…” he said, scratching his head.

“Wait for it…”

Callum waited, and then “Gah! What is that? Oh, that smells so awful!” He exclaimed, quickly standing to move away from the source of the distressing odor.

Rayla laughed. “Young assassins-in-training make games out of these to hone their evasive maneuvers. The odor is caused from the stuff in the center reacting with the air to attract pollinators. Once the reaction is over, it stops smelling. It usually takes a few hours though, so you do _not_ want to get hit with one.”

Callum had started fiddling with another such flower, trying to mimic the same contraption Rayla had made using the stem. He was pretty sure he got it right, but when he pulled the stem the head of the flower shot to the side and struck Rayla square on her right shoulder.

“Oh no! Rayla, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—ah!” Callum ducked as she whipped another human weed into a makeshift crossbow and shot it at him. It whiffed through the air less than an inch past his head.

“Oh, It’s on now,” she said with a devilish look in her eye. With a flick of her wrist she produced another and shot it at Callum. This one hit its target, smacking him on the side of the neck. Then another struck his boot.

“Oh! Oh, it’s so gross! C’mon, Rayla! Take it easy on me… there’s no way I can make them that fast,” he shouted between laughs and playful shrieks.

“Not on your life!” she shouted, producing round after round of stinky projectiles.

Callum hunkered down behind another large slate of rock, temporarily shielding him from the barrage. He took the opportunity to pluck as many of the nasty little blossoms as he could off the stem. He had a small handful by the time Rayla had repositioned herself so that she could aim at him once more. He faced her and drew a rune with his free hand.

“Aspiro!”

With a yelp, Rayla attempted to dodge out of the way of the gale. To her credit, she would have easily done so if Callum hadn’t bent the flow of air a little, anticipating her speed. He whooped triumphantly as several flowers pelted her side.

“Alright, alright! Truce!” Rayla laughed, holding up her hands in defeat.

They both stood there a moment, catching their breath from all the excitement and laughing while trying to resist the pull of the vomit-inducing odor.

“Grrrrrrrrrrarr!” Zym said, bouncing around playfully. He had been excited by the interaction, and now had a mess of weeds clinging to his mane and between his teeth.

“At least _you_ weren’t wounded in battle,” Callum said, kneeling down and beckoning Zym toward him. The dragon prince ran to him at full speed before jumping into his arms and eagerly licking his face. Callum almost immediately threw him off and covered his mouth.

“Awe, that wasn’t very nice,” Rayla said, picking up poor Zym and holding him out in front of her. He gave her a toothy grin, and she spotted bits of iridescent red petals between his teeth as he barked happily at her. His breath made her go weak in the knees.

“Oh my… alright, you’re flying a minimum of three feet away from us for the next couple hours,” she said to their charge.

“ _Human weed,”_ Callum mused, shaking his head. “That’s just mean.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were you expecting the traditional flower crown trope? I hope I was successful in my deception.
> 
> My family and I used to have wars with weeds like these, though in real life they are not smelly or pretty. Just boring, generic weeds.


	6. Moonberry Juice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like I'm posting this chapter a day early...oops.

“What is it with you and moonberry juice?” Callum asked as they walked along a seldom-used forest trail. He still wore his hood at Rayla’s insistence, ‘just in case’.

“What do you mean?” Rayla said, taking a swig and then offering the bottle to Callum. He took a small sip and passed it back.

“I mean, it’s tasty and all, but you seem to have an unusual fondness for it,” he elaborated. “Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve seen you eat or drink _anything_ else. Ever.”

“That’s not true! You watched me eat a bite of Claudia’s evil pancakes. And let me tell you, that’s the last time I try human food for the sake of trying to be polite,” she grumbled.

Callum tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Yeah, actually I do remember that. I also remember you _enjoying_ the evil pancakes before you realized they were made with dark magic,” he said smugly.

“No way. You must be remembering it wrong.”

Callum crossed his arms. “You’ve seen some of the things I draw from memory. I’m not misremembering.”

“Ok, _fine_. They didn’t taste disgusting,” she stubbornly admitted. “But they still don’t hold a candle to good ol’ moonberry juice.”

“That can’t be good for your health, just consuming one thing all the time.”

“As you can see I am in perfect physical condition, better than yourself in fact,” she defended, proving her point by walking backwards on her hands for a few steps before gracefully bending backward to return to a standing position. “As you can see, moonberries are—“

“--packed with super-nutrients, yeah yeah, I know.”

They walked on in silence for several minutes, Rayla smug in her victory until Callum opened his mouth again.

“I’ll bet you couldn’t go two days without moonberries or moonberry juice.”

“That’s absurd! I can survive several days without eating _anything.”_

“So you think you could do it? For two whole days?”

“Oh, I’ll do it for _longer_ if it will make you feel better. I’ll give you a whole week!” She fumed.

Callum grinned. “You’re on.”

Three days later, Rayla was in such a grumpy mood that Callum foraged for moonberries himself and gave them to her as a peace offering. Her pride wouldn’t let her accept them until Callum convinced her that his original two-day challenge had been met, and she would need all those super-nutrients to keep up her strength.

Rayla finally popped one of the berries into her mouth. “You know, I bet you couldn’t go a week without bread.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously though, we've seen (or have heard referenced) the humans eating jelly tarts, peanut butter, pancakes, broccoli, nuts, ice cream, Xadian fruit, juice, a grub buffet, and loafs of rock. Someone please explain. Do moonshadow elves exist solely on one fruit?
> 
> Viren: Don't worry, it's berry juice.
> 
> Runaan (turning away): It's not MOONberry juice.


	7. Fireflies

“Wow, look at all the fireflies!” Callum exclaimed as he gaped at the twilit valley. The little dragon in his arms looked up, but didn’t see anything of particular interest.

Rayla chuckled. “You’re like a little kid. Everything you see you have to stop and marvel at it.”

Callum turned to her. “Yeah,” he said sheepishly, “Everything’s just so new, you know? …Sorry if I’m being annoying.”

“Not at all,” Rayla assured, placing a hand on his shoulder with a warm smile. “I’m happy to be your Xadian tour guide. As long as we don’t stray too far from our path, that is.” She gestured to the scene below. “Those aren’t actually fireflies: They’re called dust pixies, and they’re active all the time. It’s just easier to see them when it gets dark.”

Rayla watched as Callum’s comically wide-eyed gaze returned to the valley. “Want to get a closer look?” she offered.

“Yes! Ahem… I mean, yes, that would be nice, thank you,” he corrected, trying to reign in the kid in him.

“Come on then, eager prince,” she said, ruffling his hair like she used to do with Ezran before walking off to the valley below. Callum grinned and followed, briefly combing his fingers through is hair to set it back in place.

It wasn’t far to the bottom of the small valley. Zym arrived first, having chosen to glide down rather than be carried. Rayla and Callum had briefly lost sight of him as he raced along, and the pair picked up their pace to catch up with him. They finally broke into a clearing to find the baby dragon pouncing at little balls of dim light that evaded him with ease.

Rayla sighed in relief. Callum was hunched over, trying to catch his breath. She grabbed him by the shoulders and straightened him so he could see what was right in front of him.

He looked up to see thousands upon thousands of slightly luminescent specks of varying sizes dancing around each other. They looked like large dust motes, except they moved with purpose. Every so often a group would float together, briefly dancing around each other in a flash of collective light. Callum realized this must have been what created the illusion of fireflies from farther away.

“So, what do you think?” Rayla asked proudly. She didn’t really need a response; his look of childlike wonder was answer enough.

“They’re amazing,” he grinned, eyes darting every which way as they tried to follow the many forms in motion. “It seems like everything I see in Xadia is more beautiful than the last.”

As they watched, several dust pixies formed a chain and began to move in a slow, undulating circle around the pair. Then a second chain followed suit.

“Uh… what are they doing?” Callum asked nervously as he glanced at Rayla. “Should I be worried?”

“Nah,” she whispered. “They’re just curious. They only do this if you stand really still. You’ll notice that none of them are gathered around Zym.” She pointed at the blue streak with her eyes.

They resisted a chuckle, not wanting to disturb the dust pixies swimming around them. It became an increasingly difficult task. Callum noted that it was similar to when he played hide-and-seek with Ezran. It was so hard not to laugh when he knew he needed to be quiet.

Somehow the situation evolved into a staring contest to see who would crack first. Both of their faces contorted as they tried to hold in their laughter, which made doing so significantly more challenging. They were so invested in their game that they didn’t notice Zym running at them at full speed. The dragonling leaped onto Callum’s head, scattering the dust pixies and startling Callum so effectively that he tripped over his own feet and came crashing into Rayla.

Callum landed hard on his back, knocking the wind out of himself. He had unconsciously grabbed hold of Rayla as he fell, and now she was on the ground as well, her left arm pinned under his neck. He finally managed to suck in precious air with a slight gasp, and Rayla propped herself up on the elbow of her pinned arm so she could see his face.

“Callum, are you alright?” She asked as she hovered over him.

“Yeah…just great…” he said with strained breath, then with more ease, “I’ve fallen worse than that before. Lots of times.”

Zym cooed apologetically and nestled in the crook of Callum’s arm, nuzzling the boy’s chin.

“Aww, don’t worry little guy,” Callum reassured the adorable dragon. “I know you didn’t mean it.” Zym snuggled deeper into Callum, resting his chin on the boy’s chest and staring up at him with big, shining eyes.

“I think he’s figured out how cute he is,” Rayla said with a fond smile. “He’s definitely starting to use it to his advantage.”

“Yeah,” Callum agreed. “I guess we should get up, or we’ll just be staring at his cute face all evening.”

As soon as Callum finished the thought, he noticed that neither of them were staring at Zym any longer. He hadn’t realized until that moment just how close Rayla’s face was to his own. He supposed she couldn’t very well back away while he was lying on her arm. It must have been uncomfortable for her, because she seemed to be breathing a little heavily. Then he came to the realization that he himself was quite comfortable, and was actually _enjoying_ her close proximity. He wasn’t sure why, but that fact made him nervous.

Callum moved to sit up, but Rayla held him fast with her free hand, “Look,” she said, and he followed her gaze to the string of dust pixies that were now swimming around them. She smiled down at him playfully. “We can’t move _now_.”

He grinned up at her. “No, I guess not.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who's been to Kokiri Forest can probably guess where the idea of "dust pixies" came from.


	8. Rain

Callum waited by the large rock where Rayla had left him, bored out of his mind. He had already sketched everything of interest nearby, including Zym, as well as a drawing of Rayla with her Uncle Tinker that he composed from memory. Zym was tuckered out, having played an exciting game of tag with Callum earlier. He snored in his sleep on the boy’s lap. Not wanting to disturb him, Callum resigned himself to bird watching.

It had taken a while for Rayla to admit it, but they had managed to get themselves lost. When Callum had spotted signs of civilization, she immediately left him to get directions. That was five hours ago. What was taking so long?

Callum tried not to worry about all the reasons she could be delayed, like being attacked in the woods or falling in a pit-trap or getting lost again… all things that he really shouldn’t be worried about regarding Rayla. If it were about himself, these concerns would be a lot more relevant.

“Why so glum?” came an unusually cheery voice atop the large rock. Callum looked up to see his missing friend, safe and sound.

“No reason, besides some mild boredom,” he understated. He got to his feet and stretched, despite Zym’s grumbles of protest.

“Well, get ready to be the opposite of bored,” she said with a wide grin. “We’ve been on track all along! Aaand…” she pulled a rolled up piece of paper from behind her back. “I got you something.”

“What, is this an early birthday present?” Callum joked as he took the parchment curiously.

“I guess it could be… Is that a thing humans do? Giving others gifts on their birthday?”

“Yeah. Do elves not do that?”

She shook her head. “Moonshadows celebrate birthdays together on the first full moon of the month. If you were born that month, it’s your party. It’s been a while since I participated in one, though.”

“Oh. That’s different, but still pretty neat.” Rayla watched eagerly as he unfurled it to reveal a hastily drawn rune with a word written underneath. His eyes lit up. “Is this a spell?”

“It is. There was a sky mage in town. She was practicing this one over and over again, so I was able to get a good look. Sorry if it’s hard to make out… I’m not so good at drawing or writing nicely.”

“What does it do?” Callum asked eagerly, unconcerned with the sloppy script.

“It creates a storm cloud; just a little one though, enough to cover a house, maybe. Sometimes she would make it rain or create lightning, but I wasn’t sure how she did that part. There must be some sort of nuance to it.”

“Why not just ask her how it worked?”

“Because it would be absurd for a moonshadow assassin to be asking about the details of a sky spell, and I didn’t want to attract any unnecessary attention.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Callum said as he started drawing the rune in the air.

“Wait a minute, don’t you think you should practice somewhere safe first? Far away from any towns?”

“It’s just a _little_ storm cloud,” Callum protested. “We’re plenty far enough away.”

Rayla put her hands on her hips. “Ok, but you’ve never even seen this one done before. What if it doesn’t come out the way you—“

“Tempestas!” Callum finished.

Out of nowhere a tiny, dark cloud began to form. It started at eye level then rose as it began to expand.

“Look at that! It worked!” Callum exclaimed excitedly.

Rayla, Callum and Zym watched in awe as the cloud continued to grow and rise. As it reached the treetops it started to thunder, and a light rain began to fall.

“I’m glad it worked out for you,” Rayla said nervously as she pulled up her hood. “But it’s time to end it now. It’s gotten so big it’s started to rain on us.”

“I’m sure it’ll stop any second. You said the clouds only got as big as a regular sized house, right?”

“Callum, that thing is already twice the size of the ones the sky mage created, and it’s still growing. You need to call off the spell.”

“I…uh…don’t know how to do that?” He offered sheepishly.

Zym flapped about happily as the sky darkened and the rain became a deluge. Bolts of lightning snaked across the growing cloud.

“Okay! Time to go!” Rayla ordered, scooping up Zym with one arm while dragging Callum by the wrist with the other.

By the time they found a suitable outcropping of rock to take cover under, everyone was soaked. Callum’s clothes clung to him heavily. Rayla wore a disgruntled frown, white hair plastered to her face. She put Zym down and pointed at Callum.

“You’ve really outdone yourself this time, you know that?” A heavy gust of wind blew through the meager shelter, pelting Rayla with a fresh wave of rain mixed with leaves and small twigs.

“Yeah, this one did kind of blow up in my face. I should have listened to you and waited,” he admitted as he removed his water-logged coat, “…but it’s still pretty cool that I made _that_.” A spray of rain misted his face as he looked out at his masterpiece.

Rayla sighed. “I’ll admit, it’s impressive,” she said. “But you do realize that between getting lost and this experiment of yours we’ve lost an entire day of travel, not to mention that a storm like this coming out of nowhere is going to seem suspicious to those townsfolk.”

“Maybe they’ll think the sky mage did it,” Callum said with a shrug.

“And I’m sure the sky mage will know better. Either way, we’re stuck being wet and miserable until this thing passes.”

“But storms are fun, right Zym?” Zym growled in the affirmative and pranced just outside the rock barrier to stand in the elements.

Rayla gave him a dry look as a droplet fell from the tip of her nose. “Oh do explain. I’d love to hear about all the _fun_ I’m having.”

“Haven’t you ever just played in the rain before?” Callum asked, gesturing to Zym as the dragon stalked a leaf floating along a tiny rain stream.

“Zym is a _storm dragon_ ,” Rayla reminded him. “He’s in his natural element out there. Maybe it’s different for humans, but elves weren’t meant to be stomping about in the rain for no good reason. As you know, it’s a great way to get struck by lightning.”

“But the lightning’s stopped,” Callum pointed out. “It’s just a heavy summer shower now. This is perfect stomping-about-in-the-rain weather.” Zym barked in agreement.

“You’re already soaking wet,” Callum laughed. “And we’re not going to get any drier under here. You might as well enjoy it.”

Rayla’s irritated stare was unwavering.

“Come on,” Callum pleaded, “just for five minutes?” He watched her face soften a little and grinned: he was going to win this one. “Or would you prefer to hear one of my heartfelt speeches?”

Rayla opened her mouth to speak, then turned away from him. She mumbled something as she removed her hooded jacket and bracers. He was pretty sure he caught the word “manipulative”.

“You get _five_ minutes, no longer. And we are not leaving sight of this rock.”

“Deal,” he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along before she could change her mind. They stopped about ten feet away from where they started.

“Alright, you’ve managed to drag me out here. Now what?”

“Now we take Zym’s lead. He’s clearly the authority on fun in the rain.” Callum mimicked the dragon and opened his mouth to the sky to catch a drink of rainwater. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth, making him look like a complete moron.

Rayla laughed despite herself. “You really are two of a kind.”

“Try it,” he urged before tilting his head back up.

She reluctantly did as he beckoned and copied his posture. She shut her eyes against the rain that pelted her directly in the face, laughing and sputtering after only a few seconds. “What is the point of this? Are we trying to drown ourselves?”

“The point is to have fun, and it’s working,” he said smugly.

“And what makes you think that?”

“You’re smiling. You look happy.”

Rayla paused to consider his words. Was she actually smiling?

“Well, I can hardly believe it, but you’re right. This actually isn’t miserable.” Rayla was pretty sure it wasn’t the rain that was making her smile, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Zym chirped at the pair to get their attention, then hopped over to a nearby rut where a significant stream had accumulated. He jumped in and tobogganed down the little slope, squealing with glee.”

Callum pushed his wet hair from his eyes. “Hmm… I think we’re a little too big for that to work for us.”

“Agreed,” Rayla said. “He does look like he’s enjoying having us out here, though.” Their baby had already run back up to them, excitedly prancing in front of them before sliding down again.

“This is definitely going to be a drawing later,” Callum laughed.

When Zym finally had his fill of the little impromptu water slide, he stood in front of Callum and looked at him quizzically.

“I think he wants you to pick the next activity,” Rayla mused.

He thought for a moment, then scooped up the dragon and attempted to place him on his shoulder. Zym was getting a little too big for this, but managed to cling to Callum’s back. For a moment Rayla envisioned them as a small child hitching a ride on a parent.

“What on earth are you doing?” Rayla asked through a laugh as Callum struggled to get Zym situated. When he finally did, he looked at her with a big grin.

“Dance with us,” he said.

Rayla raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I’m sorry, what?”

Instead of answering her, Callum grabbed her hands and began twirling them about in a circle. Rayla yelped in surprise and Zym made an approving roar.

All three of them were dizzy and laughing after a minute and a half of goofy “dancing,” and they dramatically crumpled to the muddy ground. The storm was clearly dissipating, if slowly. The rain was less of a downpour now and more of a normal shower.

“We’re definitely going to need to find a proper place to bathe now,” Rayla said, pulling her hand out of the sticky mud she was situated in. “It’s going to take more than what’s falling to get all of this out.”

“That’s true. Maybe it’s time to stop our fun rainy-day activities.”

Zym disagreed, and he pounced on Callum with enough force to knock him backwards into the mud. Callum gave the procacious child a displeased frown before sitting up and inspecting the damage. He flicked some of the mud off of his hands when a giant glob of it suddenly hit him in the chest. He shot an incredulous look at Rayla.

“What? You’re already covered in mud, you might as well enjoy it,” she said in playful mockery.

“You want a mud war? I’ll give you a mud war,” Callum said sportingly as he raised his hand to draw a rune.

“Oh, no you don’t!” Rayla knew what he was up to immediately and leaped on top of him, pinning him to the ground and covering his mouth with her muddy hand. He sputtered and she removed her hand to allow him to breath. Callum groaned and laughed simultaneously as he looked up at his attacker. She was grinning ear to ear. Raindrops coalesced into tiny streams that ran down the bare arms that held him in place. Her horns were shining from the dampness, and her hair was hanging over her shoulders in wet strands. Droplets fell from them and dripped onto Callum’s muddy face, cooling his suddenly warm cheeks.

Rayla was similarly distracted, so she was surprised when she was swiftly thrown to the side with strength that she hadn’t expected from the pampered prince. He rolled on top of her.

“Ha! I can’t believe I actually pinned you,” he said, impressed with himself.

Rayla’s heart was racing at the feel of his weight on top of her. She wanted to just lay there and enjoy him smiling down at her… but her pride was at stake.

“Enjoy the victory while you can,” she said with a smirk as she wrapped her legs around him and used her hips to throw him to the side.

They continued to wrestle each other until they were both completely caked in mushy brown. In the end it was Zym who was victorious. The mud dragon stood triumphantly with two feet on Rayla and two on Callum, both of them lying on their backs in exhaustion.

“So, do you like the rain now?” Callum asked after he caught his breath. The rain he spoke of was just a sprinkle now, and sunlight was starting to filter through the clouds.

“Yeah, I think I do,” she said, sitting up and wiping at the mud on her face. It didn’t do much good as her hands and arms were also covered in it.

“Great!” Callum said, sitting himself up as well. “Maybe I can convince you to like swimming next.”

Rayla scoffed and offered a sideways grin. “Don’t push your luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have comments and a bookmark now? Thanks people! <3 I wasn't expecting ego-therapy when I signed up for this.
> 
> On a side note, I really want to play in the rain now. Someone play Song of Storms.


	9. Illness

Rayla paced back and forth outside the tent. A trail was starting to form in the dirt under her feet.

“Rayla, calm down. You’re going to worry yourself sick, and then we’ll both be in trouble,” Callum scolded half-heartedly.

She turned to the tent. “You should be resting. Go back to sleep.”

“How am I supposed to sleep with you walking back and forth past my head all the time? Besides, I don’t think I could even if I wanted to.”

Rayla’s ears lowered in concern. She gave up her pacing and pushed back the tent flap to check on her patient. He was shivering under his coat, cloak, and the rain tarp, which made a decent blanket during the dry season. Zym was helping by snoozing on his feet. The night air wasn’t particularly warm, but it certainly wasn’t cold enough to cause any discomfort.

“You’re getting worse,” she said as she sat next to him. She wrapped one arm around her knees as she touched the back of her hand to his cheek.

“It’s not that bad,” he said through chattering teeth. Rayla looked distressed.

“I don’t know what else I can do,” she said, removing her hand. “I’ve given you all the useful herbs I can find. I’ve tried to keep you warm. I can’t take you into town for proper treatment; at best they would turn you away and alert all of Xadia of the ‘human invader’. I’m… I’m scared, Callum. If you keep getting worse…”

Callum frowned. He understood the severity of her admission of fear. “Hey, it’s not going to come to that,” he assured her. “Sure, it might get worse before it gets better, but it’s just a fever. Give it some time and try not to worry.” He was putting on a brave face for her sake. He knew fevers didn’t always get better, but he’d lived through them before. He would do it again. He had to.

“It’s hard not to worry after the last time,” Rayla huffed.

“Last time?”

“When you were in that dark magic coma,” she clarified.

“Oh.”

They hadn’t really talked about what had happened that day. Callum only knew that he had been asleep for a while, and during that time Corvis had been tracking down Ezran after he ran off grief-stricken. That would have left Rayla to watch over him on her own for quite some time.

“Was it bad?” he asked, feeling a little guilty.

“It was. I thought you were going to die.” She pulled her knees in closer to her chest and rested her chin on them.

“I’m sorry for worrying you,” he said. He managed a small smile in attempt to cheer her up. “You know, I was expecting you to scold me for weeks about the atrocities and dangers of dark magic after that.”

“That was the original plan. Honestly, by the end of it I was so thankful that you were awake and well, I didn’t even care about that anymore.” Rayla’s expression was far-off and wistful. Callum was a little disheartened at his failure to lighten the mood.

“What did you do to bring me out of it?” He asked. “I’ve been wondering how you managed that.”

She turned her head to face him. “Me? I didn’t do anything besides fretting like I am now. You just woke up on your own, like nothing had even happened.”

“Really?” he said, surprised. “I always thought you had some part in it.”

“What gave you that idea?”

“When I woke up I was sitting in front of you, and you were sort of… holding me,” he recalled, trying and failing to not sound awkward about the situation.

“Oh.”

Rayla didn’t offer an explanation, and they fell into an uncomfortable silence. Callum shivered violently for a moment, and when the moment passed he saw that Rayla was looking at him, eyes glistening with the threat of tears.

“I think it helped,” he said. “What you did before.”

Rayla was hesitant for a moment, watching the prince’s face for signs of sarcasm or jest. When she found none, she lied down next to him and pulled him close. He leaned into her and she rested her head atop his. His skin was alarmingly hot, his hair matted with sweat. The shivering continued for several minutes, but it eventually lessened to near-imperceptible.

“See?” Callum mumbled into her shoulder. “I’ll be better by morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's not super creative, but sometimes you've just gotta go with the classic tropes, right?
> 
> Thank you again Elite_7 and porscheczar110 for feeding my ego (Here's to hoping it doesn't turn into Audrey II)
> 
> Points to anyone who can spot the A:TLA reference :)


	10. Scarf

“Get down here you little rascal of a dragon!” Rayla shouted at Zym. She and Callum had chased him for half a mile. He was now perched on the highest branch of a tree that had fallen into the rapids above a thirty foot waterfall. Callum’s red scarf was between his teeth, billowing in the breeze. He growled playfully and wagged his tail in response.

“Oh, you little…” Rayla didn’t finish the thought. Instead she inspected the tree in the water. It was rotten. At some point it had reached the shore where she stood, but now there was a five-foot gap between the water’s edge and the saturated wood.

“Come on, Zym,” Callum called sweetly from behind Rayla, pulling something from his pack. He waved it in the air for the Dragon to see. “Aren’t you hungry?”

Zym immediately dropped the scarf and flew over to Callum. Callum latched onto him firmly before offering him the piece of jerky in his hand.

Rayla breathed a sigh of relief as she joined the pair, distancing herself from the white water. “Well that was almost a disaster. We’re gonna have to figure out a way to set some ground rules for this one.” She rubbed her knuckles into his fluffy hair affectionately. She gave Callum an approving look. “Way to go with the bribery. That was some quick thinking.”

“I’m just glad it worked. You were looking about ready to jump onto that decaying log to get to him.”

Both of them looked at said decaying log. It was a bit of a death trap. The rapids pushed it to and fro against the rocks it was caught on and sprayed even the tallest parts with a fine mist. Callum’s scarf was wrapped around the branch that Zym had been perched on.

Rayla looked back at Callum. He was gazing longingly at his favorite scarf. Rayla wasn’t sure why he loved it so much, but she got a sense that it had some sentimental value. She could never bring herself to pry, knowing that both of his parents were gone and not wanting to risk opening any wounds.

She turned back to the scarf. It rippled in the air challengingly like an enemy flag.

Rayla steeled herself. “Be right back,” she said as she started running to the rapids at full speed.

“What? Rayla, _no_. It’s just a scarf, I can get another one!”

But it was too late. By the time he had finished his sentence she was flying through the air over the dangerous water, arms outstretched. She landed on the edge of the tree with a wet thud as one foot sank right through it to the water below in a spray of soggy splinters. Her hands found a decent hold and she hauled herself upright, balancing cautiously on the wobbly, slick surface.

Callum wanted to yell at her. They had just gotten Zym to safety, and now she was going to pull the same stunt? He watched with quiet anxiety, unwilling to risk distracting her.

Slowly Rayla made her way to that stupid scarf. Every step sent her stomach lurching, and she did her best to ignore the sight and sound of the fast-moving water all around her. Another step. Another. Success! She grabbed the scarf and held it triumphantly toward Callum, who grinned at her nervously and gave her a ‘thumbs up’. Realizing she much preferred to have two hands free for the crawl back, Rayla wrapped the scarf securely around her own neck.

She slowly and cautiously made her way back to the soggy, splintered end of the tree. This next part would be tricky: she didn’t have a running start this time, and her rough landing meant that there were now several inches less of available footing. Callum was watching her intensely, Zym clutched tightly to his chest.

Rayla took a deep breath. She bent her knees and lowered her body, then sprung forward with all the strength she had in her. It was almost enough.

Her feet landed in the cold water a meter from dry land. It would have been an easy task to simply step to shore if the current hadn’t been strong enough sweep her feet from underneath. Panic rose to her chest as she felt herself falling. Suddenly she was being yanked forward, and she was surprised when her back met with solid ground. Her feet still dipped in the water. She could feel the cold rapids swirling around her boots.

Callum kneeled above her, one arm around a squirmy dragon with the opposite hand clutching at the scarf around her neck. He looked pale. Rayla closed her eyes and steadied her breathing, grateful to be alive.

“That was stupid,” Callum said, finally managing to peel his hand away. He sat next to her as she adjusted her position to pull her feet out of the water, her breathing rapid. She didn’t bother sitting up yet. “You could have died over this thing,” he scolded.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right,” she admitted reluctantly. “It was dumb and impulsive, and I may have overestimated my skills a bit. I just… I know this thing is important to you.” She reached up to feel the warm fabric that draped across her collarbone. When she glanced at Callum, he had a stupid grin on his face. “What? What’s so amusing?”

“Nothing really… It just looks kind of cute on you, that’s all.”

Rayla fought the blush creeping into her cheeks as she unfastened the scarf and threw it at Callum’s head. He laughed.

“Not that I’m encouraging you to pull any crazy stunts in the future, but thank you for retrieving it.”

“You’re welcome.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1/3 done, I just gotta repeat all the late nights 2 more times. I might sleep through all of August.


	11. Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are easily weep-ridden, you may want to have some tissues ready for this one....

“Nooo!”Rayla sat bolt upright. Her breath was shallow and rapid, and her skin was covered in a cold sweat. She looked around in a panic, confused about her surroundings. It appeared to be a cavern of some sort. She couldn’t seem to remember why she was here, and that filled her with dread.

“Rayla, what’s wrong? Are you ok?” Rayla turned to the familiar voice. Callum had been startled awake. His tired, worried expression was topped by a straggly mess of hair. Rayla remembered now: She was traveling with the human prince to return the dragon prince to his mother. The little dragon was looking up at her from his resting place between herself and Callum. His blue scales seemed to shine in the light of the luminous crystals that they had placed nearby.

“I… I think so,” Rayla said as reality set in. She wished her voice didn’t sound so unsteady. “Just a bad dream.”

Callum put a sleepy Zym in his lap before inching closer to Rayla. He stopped when his arm lightly brushed against hers. “Do you feel like talking about it?” he offered.

“No, not really.”

He didn’t press her for elaboration, just sat next to her, silently comforting. Rayla inwardly warred with herself over whether or not to open up to him a little. When she realized he wasn’t going to crawl back to bed anytime soon, she opted to step outside her comfort zone.

“… it was about Runaan.”

Callum looked at her, brows knitting. He knew he had heard the name before. He searched his memory. “That was the other assassin, right? The one we saw on the castle ramparts when you tried to call off the attack?”

Rayla nodded. Her eyes began to glisten. “He raised me. My parents weren’t around so much. He was the one who fed me, gave me a home, trained me… I’m who I am today because of him.” She curled in on herself, knees meeting her chest.

“Now he’s dead,” she said flatly. That was the easy part, the simple fact of the matter. “I know because his life was connected to a type of Xadian flower that we kept at home. It’s a method elves use to keep track of their loved ones, so that if someone goes missing they don’t have to live in uncertainty, not knowing whether to hope or not. It’s a common practice in our line of work,” she finished grimly.

Zym quickly moved off Callum’s lap. For a second this confused Rayla, but then she felt herself being forcefully pulled into Callum’s arms. The unexpected motion nearly caused her to lose her balance, but he held her tightly. At first he didn’t say anything, just sat there with his arms securely around her. When she came to her senses she returned the gesture. As soon as she did so she felt a wetness on her arm, then briefly touched her cheek to confirm her suspicion. She hadn’t even noticed she had been crying.

“I’m so sorry,” Callum offered empathetically. He maintained his hold. “That’s not an easy pain to bear.”

Of course he would understand… Callum had suffered that same pain not so long ago. And yet, Rayla thought, she would feel it so much more.

“It’s worse than that,” she said, forcing herself to pull away from him. She wasn’t surprised to see the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes, too. “I’m responsible. If I hadn’t abandoned my duty, if I had listened to him, he would still be alive.

“I don’t even know if the others in our band made it out, or if I’m responsible for their deaths, too. For an assassin that’s never killed anyone, I managed to rack up a grand total of five deaths in one night,” she said bitterly. “That’s not even including all the guards that probably died trying to defend your castle. How many lives have I taken?” The last part came out as a strained whisper. The words that had been knotted and bottled up inside were flowing freely now.

“Uncle Tinker’s a victim, too. I’m certain he’ll never be able to look at me the same when he finds out. How many other lives have I ruined by taking away a loved one? And it’s so _frustrating_ because I feel so guilty about it all, but then I feel even _more_ guilty for feeling guilty in the first place because if I hadn’t done what I did Zym would probably have been used for dark magic and Ezran would be dead and you’d be left without a family and so many more people would die or suffer in the war that’s about to unfold,” she sucked in a breath, trying to reign in her thoughts as they fought to run wild.

“…And we don’t even know for sure if we’ll succeed in bringing peace. What if we aren’t strong enough to fight against the centuries of hate?” She looked directly at him then, hoping for an answer. She got one, but it wasn’t what she wanted to her.

“I’ve wondered the same thing, if what we do will really matter in the end,” he said somberly. “Returning Zym will probably make his mother happy, but will the rest of Xadia care that it was a human and an elf working together that made that happen? Will the human kingdoms even listen to me and Ezran when we tell them that peace is possible? We’re just kids.

“…But it’s important that we try, even if it feels like the odds are against us. I want to show you something.” He turned away briefly to rummage through his pack. When he turned back to Rayla he was holding a luminous crystal and a rolled up piece of parchment with the broken remains of a red wax seal.

“This is a letter my dad gave to me, that night before he died.” Rayla watched with interest as he unfurled the paper and began to read from it. She shifted uncomfortably. This was an extremely intimate gesture on his part, and she got the unpleasant feeling that she was invading his privacy. Callum had offered this of himself willingly, however, so she resolved to listen.

_“…As I write this, the sun is setting while Moonshadow assassins prepare to end my life. A few months ago, I took my revenge on Xadia. Tonight, it is their turn.”_

The tears in Callum’s eyes fell down his cheeks as he read the words aloud. Rayla stared at the ground in front of her.

“ _I may not have long. So I’m forced to ask myself…what can I pass on to my sons in the short time I have left?_

_“When I’m gone, your brother Ezran will become king, and you will be his partner, his defender and his closest adviser. Soon you will both face a lie. The great lie of history. Advisors and scholars will tell you that history is a narrative of strength. They will recount stories of the rise and fall of nations and empires. They will be stories of armies, battles and decisive victories. But this isn’t true strength. It’s merely power._

_I now believe true strength is found in vulnerability…in forgiveness, in love. There is a beautiful upside down truth, which is that these moments of purest strength appear as weakness to those who don’t know better. For a long time, I didn’t know better. I ask you and your brother to reject history as a narrative of strength and instead have faith that it can be a narrative of love.”_

Callum put down the letter and took in a shaky breath as he wiped at his tears with his sleeve. They were quiet for a long time, both silently crying from the beautiful honesty of the late king’s words.

“I guess what I’m getting at, is that there’s hope,” Callum said as he looked Rayla in the eyes. “From a historical perspective, as we currently know history… we shouldn’t be friends. Helping each other is probably an act of treason on both our parts. Our people are at war with each other. You were sent to kill my family, and your comrades were partially successful in their mission.”

Rayla turned away from him, guilt stricken and sorrowful over the pain her people had caused him. He put a hand on her shoulder to draw her attention back to him.

“Rayla, I don’t blame you for what happened that night. I don’t blame Runaan or the others either, and… if I can forgive him for that, I think Runaan would have easily forgiven you for the decisions you made in the heat of the moment,” Callum reassured her. “Sure, maybe he would have done things differently, but he _raised_ you, Rayla. Love like that doesn’t die so easily. I think if he could see you now, he would be proud of what you’re doing.”

That broke her. Rayla threw her arms around her wise prince and tried her best to hold back the sobs that were trying to escape her.

Callum held her close, resting his hand on the back of her head as he continued. “And you know what?” he proffered. Rayla could hear his smile. “If we can be friends after everything we’ve suffered at the hands of the other side, then so can everyone else.”

“…And history can be a narrative of love, like your dad said,” she whispered.

“Exactly.”

She pulled away from him then. Her face was a mess of bleary eyes and tear-stained cheeks, but she was smiling. “I think I would have liked your dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever need a good cry just read Harrow's letter, am I right? Gotta love that man.
> 
> On a lighter note: Anyone notice how as soon as Callum's finished reading about history being a "narrative of love," the scene goes topside and Villads (or in my mind, the fandom) is a little too nonchalant: "Sooo... Rayla." (how 'bout some subtext, hmm?)
> 
> I'm probably making something of nothing, but it cracks me up nonetheless.


	12. Holding Hands

It was a hot day, and the trio had escaped to the shade of a massive tree. Zym was sprawled out on the grass in attempt to cool down. Rayla had her hair pulled back off her neck and had tossed aside her hood, boots, and bracers. Callum was down to his trousers and a light undershirt that was usually only seen when he went for a swim.

Zym watched curiously as his adoptive parents sat on their knees in front of each other, flapping their hands about in seemingly random directions. They were both smiling, though Zym couldn’t fathom why this was bringing them so much enjoyment. He sat up and looked down at his claws, then pawed at the air with one in imitation. Nothing amusing came of it, so he let out a bored sigh and lied back down to continue watching the pair.

After a few minutes of flailing about and making those cute giggling noises that were unique to bipeds, Zym could hear a rhythm start to emerge. His head perked up with interest as he watched their delicate hands clap together in a somewhat coherent pattern. He bobbed his head along with the rhythm.

The beat got smoother as they practiced, then increased in speed. Zym was fully invested now, getting up and prancing along until one of them missed a beat. Then they were just slapping playfully at each other, coordination forgotten, and practically rolling over in a fit of giggles. 

Grown-ups were weird. Or bipeds were. Zym wasn’t really sure.

When the giggling subsided they started moving rhythmically again, going very slowly this time so as not to make a mistake. For some reason they stopped with each of their hands pressing flat against each other’s. Zym cocked his head to the side, not knowing what to expect. They were staring at each other kind of funny. They did that sometimes.

The young dragon watched as their fingers slowly interlocked. They were both watching their hands now with renewed interest, so fascinated by the sight that they were holding their breath. That’s probably why their faces were starting to turn red.

Zym shook his head. His parents were weird.


	13. Teasing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand I forgot to post on time...It was bound to happen eventually, I suppose. Being distracted by D&D is a good excuse, right?

Callum was on his guard. He held his baby dragon close as he looked around the dark, eerie forest. Everything was quiet save for the soft rustling of leaves as the wind blew through the trees, and the occasional haunting songs of night birds.

He could see the full moon shining down from the treetops. That meant she could be anywhere, waiting to strike when he least expected it. His eyes darted around nervously.

The first time he’d met Rayla, it had been a full moon and she had chased him through his home with deadly weapons. She had been legitimately trying to murder him, and he was rightfully terrified.

The next time the moon was full she had been excessively mischievous, vanishing into the night and making frightening noises in the acoustic cavern that they had settled in. Convinced it was haunted, he ran outside only to be startled by Rayla appearing right in front of him, wearing some hastily-made mask out of local foliage. Callum had nearly wet himself.

“She’s not going to get me tonight,” he tried to convince himself. Zym groaned, sounding simultaneously sympathetic and skeptical.

If she was to be believed, Rayla was simply gathering some firewood so that they could offset the chill in the air. Callum should have known better; fires were not things that she allowed often.

He cautiously made his way back to the tent. It was only a few meters away, but he took note of every bush, rock, and shadow between it and himself. When he finally reached out a hand to the tent flap, he froze: what if she was already inside, waiting for him to let his guard down?

“What on earth are you doing?”

Callum’s scream reached an octave that he never imagined he’d be able to pull off. He leaped away from the offensive sound of the voice beside him and fell backward onto the tent, causing it to collapse around him. When he was sure his heart was still beating, he worked his way out of the mass of canvas. Rayla was standing there, holding a bundle of sticks and looking very perplexed.

“Are you alright?” She asked, concerned.

“Yep! Everything—agh!—everything’s great!” Callum emphasized as he tripped over the canvas again.

“Well quit goofing off and fix the tent. I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”

Callum grumbled incoherently as he set to work on cleaning up the mess he’d made.

Later that night, Callum woke with a start. He wasn’t sure what had stirred him, but he noticed right away that Rayla wasn’t there. Bleary-eyed and dazed, he crawled over top of Zym to poke his head out of the tent.

“Rayla? Are you there?”

Silence.

He withdrew back into the tent, eyes glued to the door in sudden anxiety. He was prepared to strike if that tent flap so much as fluttered in the breeze.

Suddenly he was on the ground! He struggled as something malevolent held him down, snaking through his hair, wrapping around his chest, constricting him and… _laughing_.

Rayla was fighting back tears when she released her moonshadow form. She was still holding onto Callum, if only to keep him from strangling her out of survival instinct… or vengeful fury.

“Are you happy now?” Callum grumbled as she finally released her hold on him. He pulled his blanket over himself irritably.

“You bet,” she said. “I’m not letting you live this one down for at least a month.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may be a little excited for Halloween... getting paid to scare the crap out of people = best job ever.


	14. Sightseeing

Zym darted down the streets, following the enticing aromas that drifted from somewhere upwind. He dodged between feet decorated with colorful swathes of fabric and under benches at the expense of unsuspecting elves. What had started as a fun game of chase was now a hunt for a decent meal. Rayla was on his heels, barely managing to keep up through the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

“I swear, when I get my hands on you…!”

She leaped over a cart of Xadian cabbages as it traveled across her path. The merchant who drove it stiffened in wary anticipation, but let out a relieved sigh once he realized she had cleared the vegetables without incident.

Suddenly there was a collective gasp from the crowd. An aggravated beast of burden blundered through the city, horned head bucking wildly in every direction as it followed Rayla’s path. A cloaked figure was haphazardly clinging to its back.

“Noooooo!!” the unfortunate merchant cried as the animal obliterated the cart in its wake.

“Sorry!” The rider shouted before they sharply rounded a corner. The creature finally managed to rid itself of its unwanted passenger, and Callum landed with a thud against a stone wall. He slid to the ground.

“Ow….” To his credit, the boy managed to recover fairly quickly. He looked around frantically, trying to determine which way Rayla had gone. Distressed voices were approaching from the direction whence he came, and he wisely decided to move _away_ from that sound.

Callum made haste down the road until he was able to duck down an unassuming alleyway. A stack of firewood provided him with cover as he peeked at the passing townsfolk. Their expressions ranged from rage to concern as they scouted ahead, presumably looking for the unhappy animal that Callum had accidently unleashed on the revelers. It was times like these when Callum cursed Ezran’s choice to return home.

When the excitement died down, the human prince drew his cloak about him tighter than necessary and proceeded to track Rayla. There were a few problems with this, the first and foremost being that Callum had no idea how to track anything. Taking in his surroundings, he realized that nothing looked, smelled, or sounded familiar.

He was lost and alone. In Xadia. Surrounded by unfamiliar, possibly hostile elves.

Callum realized too late that he shouldn’t have followed after Rayla. He had thought he’d be able to assist her in retrieving the rowdy little dragon, who had recently been so frustratingly willful that even Rayla had been doubting her ability to see the mission through. On top of that, Callum had managed to make a mess of his one opportunity to accompany his friend to an elven town and learn more of Xadian culture. He slumped onto a bench in a low-traffic corner of a small square. This is why Rayla didn’t take him places.

“Are you alright?”

Callum peeked from under his hood to see an elven girl leaning down to meet his eyes. She was around his age, and one of the earth elves if Rayla’s description was anything to go on. She had tan skin and brown hair, with eyes like sapphires.

For some reason Callum’s first thought was that she looked like an older, female, elven version of Ez. The absurdity was enough to make Callum smile. The girl smiled back at him, not understanding the context. He waved awkwardly.

She sat down on the bench next to him, and Callum fought the urge to flee the scene. He could feel beads of sweat forming on his forehead. How long until she figured out he wasn’t an elf? Were her physical capabilities anything like Rayla’s? Maybe she was a mage… that might be worse.

As he attempted to size her up, she continued her own investigation. “You look a little lost,” she observed.

Callum opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. He stuttered, mentally trying to decide between speaking normally, using his decidedly awful moonshadow accent, or pretending to be mute.

She raised a concerned eyebrow. “Are you well?”

“Uh…I…yes. I’m fine,” he replied, finally deciding to speak normally. “Sorry… You just look like someone I know, and it threw me off for a second.” They were pretty far into Xadia now, and he himself had no idea what an elf accent might sound like prior to meeting Rayla, so maybe this girl wouldn’t know any better regarding human accents. He hoped he was right.

“Oh… really? I guess I have a doppelganger out there,” she said with a grin. “If you don’t mind me asking, why aren’t you out enjoying the festivities? You’re not even dressed for the occasion.” She plucked at his dark cloak, and he instinctively drew it tighter around himself.

“I just… ah… really hate parties. And color. It hurts my eyes.”

The elf gave him a look. She didn’t look convinced in the slightest.

“Ok, fine. I don’t hate those things,” he admitted. Then, more reluctantly, “…and I might be just a little bit lost. I got separated from my friends and I’m not from around here. I haven’t figured out how I’m going to find them.”

It was funny how the truth made for a believable and suspicion-free cover story.

“I know exactly how you can find them,” the girl said with a wink.

“Wow, really?” he said, suddenly incredibly grateful that this Ez-like Xadian had found him.

“Really,” she confirmed, standing from the bench and offering a playful smile. “Come on, I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

Rayla had been wandering the streets for over an hour trying to find even the slightest trace of Callum, disbelieving that a human untrained in stealth was having such an easy time hiding in an elven city. His trail had been easy to pick up where he had rode into town unhinged, but the beast had been apprehended while its antagonist had seemingly disappeared.

She was starting to get cross… and worried. What if something had happened to him? If anyone found out he was human…

Zym shuffled about in her arms, sensing her disquiet. Rayla currently had him wrapped up in a colorful swath of patchwork cloth in attempt to keep him hidden… and from taking off again.

Slowly a ringing started to fill her ears. She thought something was wrong with her until she realized it was a mage’s announcement chime, probably to alert everyone of some event or contest that was starting soon. A moment later a monotonous, voice rang through the air, seeming to come from every direction at once.

“WOULD THE ATTENDANT NAMED ‘RAYLA’ PLEASE REPORT TO THE MAIN PODIUM. I REPEAT: RAYLA TO THE MAIN PODIUM. YOUR FRIEND IS WAITING FOR YOU.”

Rayla mentally face palmed. Callum was the absolute _worst_ at lying low. She shuffled through the crowd, trying to ignore the stares in her direction as she made her way toward the podium.

She spotted Callum right away. He was standing next to the bored announcer, in full view for the world to see, cloak adorned with masses of colorful ribbons, cloth, and flowers. He had some kind of jubilant noise-maker in one hand and a sample of elven festival cuisine in the other. He looked like a little kid at his first birthday celebration.

“Moon and stars, am I glad to see you,” Rayla said with an audible sigh. Callum turned toward her voice, face alight at the sight of her and unaware of the scolding he was about to receive. “But are you _out of your mind_?!” she hissed, lowering her voice and making a small gesture to the crowd. “Are you trying to alert the entire continent of your presence? Also, for the record, don’t follow me into a foreign city next time I tell you _I’ll take care of it_ ,” she said, pointing to the mass of fabric that clearly contained the Wandering Terror. “And I don’t even _want_ to know what you did to piss off that animal—“

Rayla paused, suddenly aware that the pretty girl near Callum wasn’t just passing by on her way to the next festivity. She eyed the stranger up and down, brows furrowing with displeasure. “Who are _you_?”

“Oh, this is Katriel,” Callum introduced. Katriel waved at Rayla. Rayla’s eyes darted from her to Callum, landing distinctly on the perceived lack of space between them.

“She found me after I got lost,” Callum explained. “And then she helped me find you. Wasn’t that nice of her?” Katriel let out a repulsively cute giggle.

“ _Spectacular_ ,” Rayla sneered, willfully ignoring the elf in front of her and grabbing Callum by the arm. “We’re leaving. _Now_.”

Katriel stuttered perplexedly, belatedly waving goodbye to Callum as he was all but dragged toward the nearest exit.

“Ok, I know I messed up—“

“Understatement of the century!”

“—but you don’t need to take it out on everyone else. You were kind of rude to Katriel back there, and all she did was help—”

“ _Help_? With what exactly?” Rayla stopped her pull on Callum as she gestured to his festival garb. “With _sightseeing_ , perhaps?”

“Well… technically yeah, I guess that applies.”

“So the two of you were just off having _fun_ ,” she concluded. “You just barged into town and took off with the first pretty girl you met, letting your eyes do the thinking instead of your brain!”

“Wait, I’m confused,” Callum said genuinely as he cocked an eyebrow. “Are you mad because I was having fun, or because Katriel is pretty?” He honestly didn’t see how either option made any sense.

Rayla closed her mouth abruptly and looked down, rubbing at her arm and looking for all the world as if she had said something compromising.

“Forget it,” she said, turning away from him as she continued her trek toward the forest. Callum followed her, sulking. He still did _not_ understand girls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry Cabbage Man, I couldn't resist.


	15. Callum's Birthday

Callum was having a terrible birthday.

He didn’t even realize that it _was_ his birthday when he woke up to the howls of a new Xadian predator. He and Rayla had packed up camp in all of two minutes in attempt to flee the area before the creatures caught wind of them. They had not been successful.

“Well isn’t this just great,” Rayla said after they had managed to scramble up a sturdy tree. She kept looking down nervously at the six-legged, wiry-haired beasts, as though the two of them might be enough motivation for them to learn how to climb.“He’s got the right idea,” Rayla nodded toward Zym, who was helpfully growling at the creatures from the safety of a high rocky ledge above the treetops. “These animals are exceptionally smart. They _will_ find a way up here if we don’t act fast.”

“Well, what do you recommend?”

“Honestly, I have no idea. As it stands right now, our odds aren’t looking too good.”

“Well yeah, not with _that_ attitude,” Callum chided. “Maybe if you say something positive and encouraging instead of doom and gloom we’ll actually come up with a viable plan.”

“Oh, you want me to say something pleasant?” She said sarcastically, throwing her hands up for emphasis. “ _Happy birthday!_ ”

Oh. Right.

They had, in fact, managed to free themselves from pursuit with a little creativity and positive thinking. Callum reflected on that day’s events, trying to convince himself that it _had_ been a good birthday because he had made it past those things _alive_. He sighed, hand moving over his sketchbook as he half-heartedly worked on his annual project.

“What are you drawing?”

Rayla rubbed at bleary eyes and hovered inquisitively over Callum’s shoulder. Callum didn’t mind her observations anymore. Usually. In fact, it was almost expected that she would come investigate anytime his charcoal started scratching across paper. She yawned beside him. Rayla never seemed to mind when Callum declined to answer as he worked. He had come to the conclusion that she enjoyed playing her guessing game more so than prying at him for information.

“That’s your brother,” she said, quite pleased with herself. Callum had only started on the basic outline of Ezran’s head, but her guess was spot-on. “…so that lumpy mass below him must be Bait.”

Callum nodded in response, not looking up from his work. As more of the image started to emerge, Rayla grew quiet. She was still watching, he knew, and had probably guessed the rest of the content by now. Callum finished outlining the other figures on the page before closing the sketchbook with a sigh.

“Why’d you stop?” Rayla asked. They were in no hurry; they had agreed to take the day off after all the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion they had recently endured.

“I don’t know… I’m just not in the mood to draw right now.” Rayla looked at him with a concerned frown, and somehow he felt compelled to tell her everything he was feeling in that moment. “I guess I’m just a little homesick,” he said somberly. “I’ve never spent a birthday away from my family before. Actually, I didn’t even _remember_ my own birthday this year.”

“My parents always write to me on my birthday. Or at least, they used to…,” Rayla said with bitter regret. “It was all I ever looked forward to. I guess we’re both getting sub-par birthdays this year.”

“That’s the price we pay for peace, I guess.”

Rayla offered a small smile. “Well, when you put it that way it doesn’t seem so bad.”

Their travels brought them in close proximity to an elven town a few days later. Callum found this odd, since it tended to be Rayla’s policy to avoid civilization whenever possible. As far as he could tell, there had been no barriers to travelling well around this one.

“Wait here,” Rayla said, pulling him and Zym toward a large, dry ditch in the earth. “I have to go into town to get some information. I won’t be long.” She was gone before Callum could even open his mouth for inquiries.

“Well, that was bizarre, don’t you think?” Zym tilted his head quizzically. Callum shrugged and pulled out his sketchbook.

An hour later Rayla returned, an absurd grin on her face. “Happy late birthday!” she said as she pulled out the thing she was failing to hide behind her back. Callum wasn’t sure how to react. The object in her hands looked like the severed head of Phoe Phoe the moon phoenix. He took a step back subconsciously.

“Uh… thanks, I guess?”

Rayla rolled her eyes. “It’s a mask, dummy,” she said as she put it on for demonstration. The thing had elaborate feather-work that swept back over her horns, completely covering them. She bent down to show Zym, who recoiled into Callum’s leg. “Awe come on, it’s not that scary,” she said as she removed the mask and handed it to Callum. He took it reservedly.

“I mean… It’s neat, I guess, but what is this for? It doesn’t really seem like the kind of thing that’s meant for traveling.”

“It’s not. Actually, these are just rentals,” she said, pulling out another mask that resembled a silver fox. “This is a moonshadow town. There’s a full moon tonight, and we have a birthday to celebrate.”

“Wait, you’re actually letting me go into town?” Callum asked incredulously. “To go to a moonshadow birthday party?”

“Well, we call them ‘arrival nights’, but yes,” she said, clearly enjoying the ecstatic grin that was spreading across the prince’s face. She pulled out a pair of feathered cuffs to match the mask and shook them in his direction. “But you have to wear this the entire time,” she said with emphasis. “ _Please_ don’t make me regret this.”

Without warning Callum threw his arms around her. “Thank you!” he exclaimed happily. “And I won’t. This is going to be one of the best birthdays ever!”Rayla returned the hug briefly before he peeled away from her to don his reveler’s disguise. She shook her head and smiled at her friend’s instantaneous levity.

“Don’t worry little guy, I got a little something for you too,” Rayla said as she turned to Zym, but it was what was beside him that caught her eye. Callum’s sketchbook was lying open to the page that he had started all those days ago. The portrait of his family looked close to finished now, but there was more to it than there had been the first time she glimpsed it. Rayla stared at the image of herself, seated casually with Zym in her lap, somehow seamlessly merged with those of Harrow, Sarai, Amaya, Ezran, and Bait.

“Oh, you found it,” Callum said sheepishly as he removed his mask. He felt like he owed her an explanation. “Remember when I said I was feeling homesick? Well, I draw that picture every year on my birthday. It’s just this dumb tradition that I started to track my artistic improvements, but my family always made such a big deal about it that it started to mean more than that,” he said with a sad smile. “I was having trouble drawing it this year because so much has changed and I’m so far from home, and remembering that my parents are gone and Ezran is out of my reach made me feel… alone. But then I realized that, prior to that moment, I hadn’t felt alone at all. Even when Ezran left… I still miss him terribly but I wasn’t lonely. I was happy, even. And, well… I thought you deserved to be in the picture this year, you know?”

Callum wasn’t sure exactly what to make of Rayla’s expression, only that it was all at once intense and warm and… the sun was low in the sky; wasn’t the forest supposed to be getting _cooler_? He coughed shyly. “Um… do you like it?”

Rayla closed the gap between them and placed a hand on his shoulder, offering a reassuring smile that didn’t displace the expression she had already been wearing, but rather intensified it. “It’s without a doubt my favorite drawing in the world.”


	16. Moonlight Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a direct sequel to the previous chapter.

It was midnight. Elsewhere in the world the night was quiet, its denizens sleeping comfortably under the blanket of darkness. In the town of Celunas it was a different story.

The night was alive with music and laughter as fanciful wild creatures danced and sang under the light of the full moon, occasionally drifting in and out of existence. The air smelled like flowers and rain, and everything in sight was covered with luminescent petals that would occasionally stir in the air from the cool breeze or the rush of the passersby.

Rayla couldn’t remember the last time she had had so much fun. She hadn’t been to her arrival night since she was small, standing on Runaan’s feet as he led her in a dance. The memory broke her heart a little, but it was hard to stay sad when she shared her company with the two childlike princes that marveled at literally everything. The three of them had danced along with the other elves to the best of their ability, hummed the tunes that played on the wind, and had partaken of the many foods and drinks available to them… Perhaps more than they should have.

Zym’s gut looked like it was going to rupture the fluffy jacket that, thankfully, had done a decent job of hiding the fact that he was a dragon and not a pet. Callum had at some point imbibed something that was not meant for him, and as a result was finding it difficult to keep his balance as he spun the fuzzy dragon-dog in a circle. Rayla shook her head and laughed as she steadied him.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I think so,” he replied through the feathery mask on his head. “It’s just hard to adjust to the floor looking like its tilting when I do anything more strenuous than walking.”

“Well at least now you know that just because a drink is red doesn’t mean it’s moonberry juice,” she scolded amiably.

“How was I supposed to know? I thought that’s the only think you moonshadow elves drank. Ow! Hey!” he shouted with a giggle as Rayla punched him in the arm and proceeded to chase him through the square. Zym followed, weaving in and out between them until Callum tripped over him and almost face planted into the stone walkway. Rayla caught him, once again.

“Alright, that’s the third time I’ve had to rescue you from certain bodily harm. I think it’s probably time to get you out of here before you knock that mask off your human head.”

“Awww… do we have to?” He whined. “It feels like we just got here.”

Rayla laughed. “We’ve been here for three hours, and you’ve been going nonstop. If I knew you had this much stamina before I’d have set a much faster pace for this journey,” she teased.

“Maybe we can just watch from somewhere safe, where I won’t trip and die,” Callum suggested. Rayla nodded her agreement, and took his hand to lead him through the busy streets. Zym trotted along at their heels.

They made their way a little further from the center of the town before Rayla spotted a promising location. She led her princes to a set of stairs and up a hill that had a decent vantage point of the party below. They could still hear the music and see the whimsical attire, but it was muted. Peaceful.

They stayed there for another few hours, hiding in the low boughs of a leafy tree and talking and laughing, somehow coming up with plenty conversation to pass the time. Zym had long since passed out beside them.

“Are you tired _now_ , party prince?” Rayla asked as Callum let out a huge yawn. His mask sat tilted atop his head, as was her own.

“Never,” he said stubbornly. “I could go on like this forever. Couldn’t you?”

Something about the way he was smiling at her made Rayla’s breath hitch. This entire night had been like a fantastic dream, but now she was forced to face the uncomfortable reality once again: She had feelings for this human. She couldn’t fathom why or how it had happened, but there it was. It should have been shameful, treasonous, disgusting by all accounts… and yet she had learned better. Now all she could think about was pulling this lovely boy close to her and—

No. She couldn’t let herself think that way. As of late she had allowed herself to grow too close, to take his hand unwarranted, to pull him into an embrace to ease the littlest of discomforts. Even now there was no space between them as they sat side by side on their sturdy branch that had more than enough room for them to sprawl out and then some. Part of her wondered if it was only her own doing, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk to him about it. She had opened up to him more than she would have thought possible with anyone, and yet this one subject filled her with so much anxiety that she would almost rather jump in an icy lake than share her feelings.

“Rayla? What are you doing?” Callum asked suspiciously as his eyes searched past her head. “You do remember that you promised not to jump out and scare me this time, right?”

Rayla looked at her hands and realized she had unwittingly donned her moonshadow form. She was grateful that he couldn’t see the horrible blush she knew was spreading across her face. Assuming the form out of fear wasn’t something she had done for a very long time. “I..I wasn’t going to,” she sputtered nervously. “But I never promised not to disappear for absolutely no reason at all.”

“Ok, that’s a fair point,” he said. Then he smiled and took her hand: “…But I think I’d better keep you close, in case you change your mind.”

Rayla swallowed hard. All that time pining had made her well practiced in the art of making up ridiculous excuses to initiate physical contact, and this gesture wasn’t fooling her.

She watched Callum’s face, her own burning, as she searched him for some confirmation of her suspicion. Then his focus shifted, and he wasn’t looking _past_ her anymore. Rayla squirmed uncomfortably, checking herself to ensure she was still invisible to the naked eye. She definitely was. She held his gaze daringly, and felt her heartbeat accelerate as his free hand moved slowly toward her and rested on her cheek. She froze.

“I can see you,” he said softly. Those words seemed to hold a deeper meaning than simply what his eyes perceived. Rayla suddenly felt as if her soul was exposed, and she closed her eyes like a child pulling a blanket over their head as she reached out and pulled herself into him.

Rayla was acutely aware of every sensation in her body as his soft lips met hers. The cacophony of the night vanished, and she no longer felt the branch underneath of her. She was in a void, and the only other thing she could perceive was the boy that was right in front of her.

She pulled away, breathing heavy as she opened her eyes. Callum was still holding her hand, still touching her cheek, and still looking right at her. In that moment, Rayla realized that all of her worrying about him finding out the truth had been for nothing. He already knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Callum and Rayla sitting in a tree, K.I.S.S.I.N.G.
> 
> I'm sorry I couldn't help myself.


	17. Braids

It was a beautiful early evening in a quiet valley that was practically sparkling with the ever-present magical energy that was unique to Xadia. Callum should have been capturing every detail in his sketchbook. Instead he was tasked with restraining a squirmy little storm dragon as Rayla combed through his mess of a mane, plucking out an impressive collection of twigs, leaves, burrs, and insects that had matted on top of his fuzzy head.

“RRRRRRRRRRRrrrrr!” Zym protested in discomfort as she fought with a particularly stubborn tangle.

“Well if you would just _hold still_ for a few minutes this would all be over and done with,” she scolded. “We could have been finished half an hour ago.”

Callum sympathized with the child’s plight: There had been many times when he or King Harrow had needed to groom Ezran’s fluffy hair in such a fashion. He stroked Zym’s back comfortingly as he maintained his hold. It helped a little, but not as much as any of them would have liked.

Thirty more agonizing minutes passed before Rayla deemed the baby dragon worthy of his royal title. Callum sighed with relief as he loosed his grip and started stretching his aching arms. They would feel even worse tomorrow, he knew.

Callum watched as Rayla coaxed Zym into her lap, finally paying him the kind of attention that he _wanted_ to receive. He cooed and purred as she scratched his head. After about two minutes he was curled up and passed out between her legs.

“About time,” Rayla whispered, sounding somewhat exasperated. She started to tug very gently at his mane again, this time separating it into thin strands that she proceeded to weave them together in a small braid.

“I didn’t know dragons were into stylish hairdos,” Callum softly chuckled. Rayla rolled her eyes.

“It’s not about style, it’s about keeping _this_ from happening again,” she whispered, gesturing to the pile of everything that she had spent the last hour dislodging from that tiny head.

“I know,” Callum responded with an eye roll of his own. “It was just a joke. I think it’s a great idea.”

“Well if you’re in agreement why don’t you come over here and help me?”

“I don’t think you want my help.”

“Oh? You think I want to be here all night doing this?”

“No, it’s just… I don’t really know how to make braids.”

Rayla paused in her work, fingers intertwined with locks of white as she looked directly at Callum. “How are you this sheltered?”

Callum sulked a little as he pointed to himself. “Prince, remember? Lived in a castle, with everything I could ever need provided for me?”

Rayla sighed. “I suppose that’s a solid excuse.” She patted the grass next to her as indication for Callum to come closer. He did as bidden and shuffled to sit beside her.

“It’s pretty simple,” she explained. “You just take three even strands, and the two on the outside take turns going over top of the one in the center, like this.”

Callum watched with interest as her fingers worked, moving the strands of hair about just like she had said. She finished the first braid and started another, going with a lot more speed this time. Her hands moved with the graceful dexterity that he had grown accustomed to.

“Your turn,” she said, separating out three more strands. Callum hesitantly wrapped his fingers around them, fumbling a bit until Rayla moved his fingers into the appropriate grip. Her hands hovered over his as he slowly weaved the way she had demonstrated. It took quite a bit longer than it had taken Rayla, and it didn’t look as tidy, but Callum eventually managed to finish the braid.

“That’s not bad for a first try,” Rayla commended with a sideways grin. “Let’s see you do another.”

Together the pair tamed the dragon’s wild locks into something manageable. When the job was done Rayla offered her friend a high four… er, five… nine?

“How come you never redid the braid you used to wear behind your ear?” Callum asked. Rayla shrugged.

“No reason. I just didn’t see a point in bothering. It hasn’t exactly been high on my priority list, not to mention I don’t have a tie for it. My hair doesn’t have the texture to stay in place like Zym’s does.”

“Oh,” he said. Then demurely he added “It looked nice.”

Rayla smiled warmly at him in gratitude of the complement. She turned away for a moment, searching the ground for something before plucking up a flower with a long, fibrous stem. She peeled it down until she was satisfied with her work, giving it a curt nod. “This will work.”

“For what?”

“A tie for the braid.”

“Oh. That’s inventive,” Callum acknowledged. “You’re not just doing this because I liked the way it looked, right?”

“I’m not,” she responded with a coy grin. “You are.”

“I’m… wait, what? Rayla, I-I don’t think I…”

“Quit your bumbling and accept this wonderful opportunity for practice that I’m offering to you,” she chided playfully as she grabbed his hand and placed it on her hair near her forehead.

Callum wasn’t afraid to admit to himself that he was a little nervous… in a good way. They were both aware that there was something more than friendship growing between them, but it wasn’t something they had openly discussed just yet. They needed to, Callum knew, but he had a lot of unanswered questions with potentially unhappy answers and he imagined that she did as well. They had an important mission to finish. They couldn’t afford to be compromised by the thoughts that weighed on them… not that this stopped either of them from craving the other’s attention. Callum noted that Rayla seemed to be quite satisfied with herself for causing the blush that he knew was visible on his cheeks.

Callum pushed his insecurities aside and separated strands of silver-white hair with fingers that were notably shakier than they had been for the other braids he had made. He marveled at how soft Rayla’s hair was. Sure, he had brushed against it a few times before out of close proximity, but this was the first time he had really _felt_ it.

A strangely comfortable silence settled over them as Rayla watched Callum’s hands carefully weaving to and fro. It didn’t take as long as he thought it would, and Callum missed the delicate sensation the moment she took the braid from him to tie off the end.

“So? How does it look?”

“I don’t know…” he replied. “I think I might need more practice.”


	18. Childhood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so everyone is aware, I will be camping in 100+ degree weather in a remote location for the next three days. There is a slight chance I might be able to find somewhere with free wifi so that I can upload the chapters for Saturday and Sunday, but it's more likely that you will get those lumped in with Monday's prompt.
> 
> If you don't hear from me on Monday it probably means that my corpse is being nicely roasted under the sun.

Rayla was lost in fury of emotions as she stared at the coins held gingerly in her palm.

She and Callum had been surprised that a crow from Katolis had managed to find them in the wilderness of Xadia, but it made sense when they read the corresponding letter from Ezran. Unfortunately, this crow came bearing more than just a message.

Another tear made its way down Rayla’s face and she brushed it aside. She had calmed down significantly since reading Ezran’s letter that morning. The first hour of enlightenment had been spent in a rotation of sobbing, cursing at the wind, and furiously slashing at trees with her swords. It was all Callum could do to hold her during the worst of it.

She was alone with her thoughts now. She had wanted it that way. She withdrew the parchment that she had tucked into her jacket and started reading it for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

_Dear Callum,_

_I know you’re wondering how I managed to send a crow to you all the way in the middle of Xadia. The short version is that I asked this crow to find you because he takes his job very seriously and has never had any mishaps with deliveries. Zym told me where to send him. I’ll explain more about that when you get home._

_I’m writing to you because I have some very bad news. Claudia found something that affects Rayla personally. The pouch is for her. Please give it to her with the letter that I wrote on the back of this one. You should probably stay close because she’s going to need you for support._

_I need to keep this short so that I can send it right away, so you’ll have to wait to hear about how things are going over here. Short version: it’s okay._

_I love you, and I miss all of you so much. Stay safe, and come home soon._

_Your brother Ezran_

Rayla closed her eyes hard as she fought back the fresh tears that were stinging in her eyes. She didn’t want to read the other side again. She flipped it over anyway.

“Hey.”

Rayla’s reverie was broken at the sound of Callum’s voice. She glanced at him, hair catching on the wind as he came to sit on the sand beside her. She tucked the letter away.

“Do you ever feel like you’ve grown up too fast?” she asked.

Callum frowned thoughtfully as he considered her question. “I don’t know. There are times when I still feel like a kid, like when I’m hanging out with Ezran, or when I’m drawing, and I don’t have to worry about anything else… But then there are times when I remember that both of our parents are gone. I have a big role in raising Ez now, for better or worse. I’m on an important mission to save the world. Sometimes it’s overwhelming.”

“I think I lost my childhood a long time ago,” she admitted sorrowfully. “It was my own fault. I _wanted_ to grow up, and be strong like my parents and like Runaan. I was only happy when I was training, and I didn’t want to make friends with anyone who didn’t want to cross swords. I regret it now.” Rayla looked longingly at the tiny gold disks in her hand. “I should have slowed down and just enjoyed them when I was able to, instead of trying to rush ahead.”

“We’re going to find a way to reverse it,” Callum said with much more confidence than she herself felt. “Somewhere there’s a mage who knows exactly what to do, we just have to find them.”

“What if we don’t?” Rayla asked as she looked at him with pleading eyes.

“Ezran says Claudia is already deep in research just in case—“

“What if she can’t?”

“Then we’ll keep trying.”

Rayla wasn’t entirely satisfied with the answer, but it was enough to ease her just a little. She returned her gaze to the ocean. The waves were large and loud and frightening, even as far away as she was from them. It seemed like an impossibly daunting task to even imagine the calm that waited behind the breakers.


	19. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder, next post will probably be on Monday with a total of 3 chapters at once.

Ezran had already sent word ahead to Aunt Amaya detailing recent events. She was displeased with the situation, as evident by her expression as they waited for Callum and Rayla to arrive. Hopefully it would be soon… the breach was hotter than noon on the worst days of summer.

“There they are!” he shouted, pointing to where he had spotted the pair emerging from the smoke and steam. Amaya’s face alighted when she finally spotted Callum. Ezran bolted toward his brother as fast as his legs could manage, and nearly knocked Callum to the ground as he crashed into him.

“Whoa, easy there!” Callum laughed as he returned his brother’s fierce hug. “It would be a shame if I finally made it home just to plummet into a river of lava.”

“That _would_ be unfortunate,” Rayla said, also offering Ezran a hug when he had pried himself off of Callum.

“Ezran, you need to be more careful!” Amaya scolded with Gren’s voice as they caught up with the young king. “It’s not safe here.” Ezran noticed that it was Rayla she was eyeing warily, not the edge of the breach.

“It’s okay, Aunt Amaya. She’s our friend. Callum just made up that stuff that stuff before because he didn’t think you would listen if he told you the truth,” he begrudgingly explained, _again_.

“So you mentioned,” she replied.

The second afterward, she had Callum scooped up into her arms, tears starting to form in her eyes. He was going to have bruises from being so pressed against her plated armor, as Ezran already knew from experience. When Amaya finally put Callum down, she had strategically placed herself between him and Rayla.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she told him. “I’m so glad that both of you are home and safe again.”

“I missed you too, Aunt Amaya… And you can thank Rayla for my safe return,” he said as he gestured behind his aunt. “There’s no way I would have survived this journey without her.”

Amaya stood tall as she turned to face the young elf.

“Oh, hello again,” Rayla waved hesitantly, unsure of what else to say.

Callum began to rub the back of his head sheepishly. “Back at the Banther Lodge… I’m sorry I lied to you, Aunt Amaya. I should have listened to Ezran.”

“Don’t worry, I forgive you,” she smiled warmly. “King Ezran has given me detailed accounts of the time he spent with you, and I’d love to hear what new and exciting stories you have to offer,” she signed before glancing at Rayla. “We have agreed to host her, but she will be kept under guard until she returns to Xadia.” Amaya raised a hand to stop Callum as he opened his mouth to protest. “We can talk more about it later. Right now we need to head to the keep. It isn’t safe to stay out here in the open.”

Callum sighed but nodded in cooperation. Rayla didn’t look surprised by what Amaya had said, but she didn’t look pleased either.

“I’m so glad you came to visit. I’m sorry it’s not a very hospitable place for elves yet,” Ezran said, looking a little ashamed for it.

“It’s all right. We all knew things were going to be a little rocky at first. I’m sure it will get better,” she said as she offered a reassuring smile.

“It is my honor to welcome you into Katolis,” Amaya greeted formally.

“Thank you for your hospitality,” she responded cordially, giving a slight bow. Ezran didn’t like the way they were suddenly acting so polite to each other, like they were putting up an act to hide the truth.

Amaya gave a curt nod before turning. “This way.” She put a protective arm around her nephews as they headed toward the keep.

As promised, Rayla had two guards confiscate her weapons and hover over her immediately upon entering the gates. She was escorted to a large greeting room, where several soldiers and guards were gathered to see the first elf to be welcomed into the kingdom. Ezran tried to tell himself that it wasn’t as unsettling as it could have been. Callum had diligently stayed within arm’s reach of Rayla the entire time, much to Amaya’s chagrin. Still, the elf had been uncharacteristically quiet during the three hours of news and stories that the humans passed between them.

“Boys, I have some important matters to discuss with both of you,” Amaya said, eyes suddenly very serious as she rose from her seat. “I know you two must be hungry after all your travels. Supper is almost ready, and I’ve arranged for us to dine in one of the conference halls so we can figure some things out. Come.”

Ezran and Callum rose to follow her out of the greeting room, but when Rayla tried to do the same she was cut off.

“I have need to speak to my nephews. _Privately_.”

“Anything you have to say to us you can say to her,” Ezran insisted. He was glad his aunt was working with him, but he wished she could trust Rayla the way he did.

“These are matters of state. They cannot be discussed with outsiders, not even from the other human kingdoms.”

“Then let’s discuss them later,” Callum suggested, “after Rayla has returned to Xadia.”

“That would take time that we do not have to waste,” Amaya said. “Some of these things are best discussed sooner rather than later. Also, I thought it would be nice for us to spend a little time together as a family.”

“So, what? We’re just supposed to eat and laugh and talk about how we can make Katolis come out on top while Rayla is left alone with two strangers who are only there to cut her down if she makes a wrong move?” Callum replied irritably.

“Callum, it’s alright,” Rayla tried to assure him. “I’ll be ok—“

“No, it’s _not_ alright,” he said firmly, not taking his eyes off of Amaya’s. He was getting heated.

“She herself just agreed to it, Callum.”

“She agreed because she’s trying to not cause trouble, not because you’re doing the right thing.”

“You’re being irrational.”

“You’re being inhumane. She’s a _person_. She doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.”

“Like what, Callum?” Amaya’s signing was growing agitated now.

“Like a _prisoner_.”

“Do you forget she’s also a deadly assassin that was sent to murder your family?”

“Ez wouldn’t even be alive today if it wasn’t for her! _I_ wouldn’t be alive!”

“You don’t know that—“

“You owe her a little kindness!”

“She’s an _elf_ , Callum! Why are you acting like this?”

The words that Callum signed to Amaya in the next moment looked as though they had struck a physical blow. Her surprised eyes remained on Callum as she held up a hand to stay Gren’s words. Callum himself looked stunned by what he had said to her. She started signing back to him.

There was a long, awkward pause that hung in the air for few moments. Rayla looked about the people in the room uncomfortably. Ezran’s head turned back and forth as he tried to follow the silent conversation, which was not going well since he had never learned more than a few basic words in sign language. He wasn’t really convinced that he needed to know it to understand what was happening. Everyone’s emotions hung thick in the air before the tension started to dissipate.

“We’ll talk later,” Gren finally spoke as he carefully watched the general’s hand movements. He followed her as she turned and strode purposefully out of the room.

“So, how about that dinner?” Ezran chimed in all-too-cheerily. The soldiers in the room took the hint and dispersed, leaving Ezran, Callum, and Rayla alone… with Rayla’s two guards plus Corvis, that is.

“Thank you for sticking up for me, though I wish I wasn’t the source of malcontent between you and your family,” Rayla said sincerely to her friends. Then, with a look of genuine curiosity at Callum: “What on earth did you say to her at the end?”

“Oh… I….um, well…”

“He just told her the truth,” Ezran said helpfully. “I told you this whole time she would listen to you if you just told her the truth about everything, Callum.”

“Ez, you don’t even know what I said to her.”

“I don’t need to, I could tell by the way you said it,” he said with a mischievous grin. He pulled his brother close to whisper in his ear. “Also, I can see everything Zym sees. I know _all_ of your secrets.”

“Are you all right?” Rayla asked Callum. “You’re looking a little ill all of a sudden.”

“Nope! I’m great. Everything’s great!”

Callum’s complexion continued to shift as he searched his memories to find out just how many of his private moments had actually been shared with his little brother.

“By the way,” the young king chided, “you owe me a discussion regarding some sandwiches.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did Callum say to Amaya, you ask?
> 
> It's a SECRET :D
> 
> Hopefully the context clues lead you to the right conclusion.


	20. Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another direct sequel to the previous chapter... I think. I might be thinking of something else. What does sleep feel like again?

Four days had been spent in the keep on the human side of the Breach. Some of Ezran’s council had traveled with him to help with the delicate political matters that were beginning to unfold. It was unusual for such conferences to take place at an external location rather than at the castle in the capitol city, but these were unusual circumstances.

“The Pentarchy will never acquiesce to an alliance!” one of the council said as he slammed a fist on the war room table. “Xadia recently took the lives of _four_ of our beloved monarchs. Do you really think that they sent this known assassin for peace negotiations over a politician?” He gestured emphatically at the only elf in the room. “We should lock this one up and attack Xadia while we still have an advantage!”

“I don’t think that would be in our best interest,” said a soft-spoken woman, “but it _is_ a little too soon to be thinking about anything more than a standard peace treaty.”

“Ok, yeah, I wasn’t exactly talking about _tomorrow_ ,” Callum said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, “but it’s something we should strive for. If we start setting a good foundation now, we can make it happen.”

“I agree,” Rayla chimed in. “The dragon queen has already pledged her support for the first gathering of humans, elves, and dragons in _centuries_. If we show her that we can work together, there’s a real possibility of opening embassies or even trade agreements in the future. It would be a big step in the right direction.”

“What could we possibly want or need from Xadia?” the angry councilman spat. “Your kind drove us out a thousand years ago and made it nigh impossible to ever go back! Besides, we’ve been doing just fine on our own.”

“I seem to recall several secret expeditions into Xadia for supplies, including the one that resulted in the death of three of the aforementioned monarchs,” Gren spoke for Amaya as she challenged the Council.

“That expedition saved countless lives,” another councilman declared. “Two countries would have starved without the Titan heart to warm the land.”

“The same thing could have been easily accomplished with a little help from a sunfire mage,” Rayla said as she tried to keep the disgust out of her voice. “Imagine just being able to _ask_ for assistance, instead of having to trespass on foreign land, murder a poor creature for dark magic, and risk all of your lives in the process.”

“Xadia would never help us,” insisted one of the military leaders.

“How would travel across the border even be possible?” the soft-spoken councilwoman asked. “The people will not take kindly to Xadians on our soil, warranted or not, and I’m sure the same applies to the other side. I would fear for the safety of all parties involved.”

“There would be riots, no doubt.”

“What would the elves and dragons even want from _us_?”

“Unconditional surrender: This is obviously a ploy at political conquest!”

“What of our mages? Xadians hate that humans can perform magic. Would they be imprisoned? Enslaved? Executed?”

“Who would control the contested fortress?”

“Enough!” King Ezran shouted as he rose from his seat. The room fell silent. “I’m tired of hearing all of your excuses for why this won’t work. I expect everyone to come in fresh with positive attitudes tomorrow morning. We’re done for today.”

Callum sighed as Ezran stormed out with Corvis in tow. Rayla took a step as if to follow before remembering she had two thugs on her heels. Everyone here was already disturbed by her casual closeness with the human royalty, and she struggled to reign herself into something more acceptable by their standards.

A few of the council felt the need to perpetuate their bickering even after the King had adjourned the meeting and retired to his quarters. Amaya put a decisive end to it.

“The king has spoken. This session is over. Get out.” The General pointed to the door. Slowly the room emptied of all council members and military personnel, save for herself and the two guards that were currently assigned as Rayla’s escorts. “You may take your leave,” she told them. They looked confused, but did as bidden. When they were gone, she turned to her eldest nephew.

“This isn’t working, Callum. We’ve been going at this for several days, with little progress to show for it. Counselor Iyeta is right: We need to focus on establishing a peace treaty, nothing more.”

“A peace treaty is great,” he explained to his aunt, “but everything is going to go back to the way things were before if we just stop there. There has to be a way to make people see that.”

“Do you even understand what _they_ see? They see their rulers fraternizing with an enemy that countless soldiers have died defending the kingdoms from. They see young, inexperienced boys with idealistic dreams and no regard for reality.” She put Gren on hold to speak to Callum privately. _And don’t think that people haven’t started whispering in the halls about how close you are to the elf._

_Rayla,_ Callum signed back. _Her name is Rayla._

_They don’t care about that. To them, she is the enemy, and they see_ you _holding her hand and following where she goes, and neither you nor your brother act like it’s anything out of the ordinary. I’ve heard some soldiers come to me concerned that you’ve been put under some kind of spell, and the Council…_ Amaya closed her eyes for a moment and took a calming breath. _The Council has started pressing to betroth you to a noblewoman sooner rather than later._

Callum set his jaw. _They don’t get to make that decision._

_Technically they do. You could make an appeal, but they have ways of getting what they want even with the king on your side._ She put an apologetic hand on her nephew’s shoulder. Rayla stood behind him a few steps, looking worried by the unreadable conversation taking place. Amaya attempted to give the girl a reassuring smile before looking Callum in the eyes. _Try not to worry too much about the council right now. I know how to hold them off for a while… but it’s probably best if you pretended to care a little less about the el—Rayla._

Callum looked at the ground, disheartened. Rayla, still unaware of what had transpired, stepped forward and took his hand. Amaya gestured at the motion with a look that said “my point exactly.”

“Aunt Amaya, do you think I could have a moment alone with Rayla? To discuss things?”

Amaya hesitated, looking warily at the trained assassin holding her nephew’s hand, then at the only entrance to the room. “Very well. I will be waiting outside.”

Callum breathed an audible sigh of relief as Amaya and Gren closed the door behind them, thankful for the monumental leap of faith that his aunt had just demonstrated by doing so.

“Wow… it almost feels strange now not to have eyes watching my every move,” Rayla said with a nervous laugh. “So… what is it that you wanted to talk about?”

“Well, it’s _not_ something I want to talk about, actually.” Callum spent a moment looking anywhere but at Rayla before she gently squeezed the hand she was holding, forcing him to meet her eyes. Callum steeled himself.

“Aunt Amaya says that people are starting to talk.” Rayla raised an eyebrow as she waited for him to provide more useful information. “About… _us_.”

“What about us?”

“Oh, you know… how I won’t leave you alone, how we’re so comfortable around each other… the fact that I care about you. A lot.”

“Oh…”

They were both quiet for what seemed like an eternity. Both had been putting off this conversation for a long time. There was no avoiding it now.

“What does that mean then? For us?” Rayla asked, her brow knitted with worried anticipation.

“Well, the council is trying to arrange my marriage, for starters,” he told her honestly. Rayla closed her eyes and turned away. He had mentioned the practice before. She hadn’t liked it then, and she sure as hell hated it now.

“I want you to know that I’m going to fight it,” he said, gaining some measure of confidence. “Aunt Amaya thinks she can handle them for now, but she also suggested it would be easier if we weren’t so… obvious.”

“Callum,” Rayla looked at him with a sorrowful expression. “What are we doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that this thing between us… It can’t possibly last.” A tear chased a trail down her cheek as she spoke the words. She wiped it away quickly.

“Why not? Just because some grumpy old men and women can’t see something sincere when it’s right in front of them?” he retorted. It came out sounding harsher than he had meant it to.

“I’m just being realistic. We both know that you have to stay for your brother, and I have things to address back in Xadia. Even if I tie up all the loose ends back home, and even if Ezran decides being king is easy and he didn’t need you anymore, we would be hounded as traitors and seen as a disgrace. We would have mobs of people chasing us with torches and pitchforks, regardless of what side of the Breach we’re on.”

“Look… I know it seems daunting, but they have to come around eventually,” he pleaded. “We just have to work with them, and give them some time to adjust.”

“How much time, Callum? Judging by the way these meetings are going, I’m thinking it will be decades before we can get away with not being murdered in our sleep.”

“Well maybe, but hopefully not,” he said. Gods, but she was making it difficult to stay positive. “Our aunt is already starting to warm up to you. Can’t you tell?”

“Seeing as how she’s the one who wants us to keep our distance? No, not really.”

“May I remind you that she’s allowed me to be alone with you now? With no escort?”

“Good for her!” Rayla said facetiously as she threw her hands in the air. “Now we’ve only got the rest of the entire world to convince which, again, is going to take time… probably more time than we have. How many years do humans live again? Seventy? Eighty?”

Callum frowned. “If we’re lucky,” he admitted.

“You see? Tell me how that would work out well for either of us.”

Callum shook his head with a sad smile. “Is it wrong that none of what you’re saying sounds all that intimidating? I really do feel like we could find a way to make things work out eventually…if you wanted to.”

“Of course I do, you dumb human.” She returned his smile reluctantly. “It’s just that the odds are against us. By a _lot_.”

“Maybe it’s just not our time,” Callum said somberly. “Maybe once we’ve taken some time to ourselves to get our separate lives in order… maybe the odds won’t seem so bad.”

Callum spent the next few days out of Rayla’s reach. It was hard, but his aunt had made things easier by offering herself as Rayla’s escort for the remainder of her stay. He was pleased to see them conversing regularly as he passed them in the halls, offering a brief wave as he forced himself to look away.

When the Council had finally agreed to a summit of the Pentarchy to address the dragon queen, it was time for Rayla to leave. No one objected when she hugged the king goodbye and shook the generals hand, and no one said anything when Callum left the gates of the keep to walk Rayla to the Breach.

They stopped at the halfway point between Xadia and the human kingdoms. No one else was within sight or earshot as they stood behind the red-hot falls of molten lava that divided their people.

“I guess this is it,” Callum said quietly. “It’s going to be strange not to see you every day.”

Rayla nodded in response, pausing before she pulled him into a warm embrace. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered, nuzzling against him in such a way that her horns brushed underneath his jawbone. Callum found the behavior amusing yet oddly comforting, and he smiled as he leaned into her in spite of the solemn mood.

Then he felt her move to pull away from him and the reality hit him that he wasn’t sure when he would see her again; the future was so uncertain. Callum had known for a long while that they would have to part ways eventually... he didn’t expect it to hurt so much. He caught the back of Rayla’s neck in his hand and held her there for a brief moment, her eyes meeting his, before he pressed his mouth against hers in one last aching moment of passion that conveyed all the feelings that neither of them had yet learned how to put into words.

“Meet me here,” Rayla said once she had won the battle with desire and forced herself to pull away, “on the night of the first full moon in the spring.” She wiped at the tears on both of their faces with a hopeful smile before withdrawing something from her pocket and pressing it into Callum’s palm. Then she turned and ran toward Xadia without glancing back.

Callum watched her until she disappeared from view, then turned his gaze to his hand. He opened it to reveal a single thin braid of silver-white hair. He closed it again and reminded himself that when you grow up, there are changes that you don’t expect, and you have to face things that you aren’t ready for. He turned to head back to his brother and aunt and the Council. He was ready now. He and King Ezran were about to make _humanity_ face some unexpected changes.


	21. Aged Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for this one...

Rayla strode with high spirits through the streets of the capitol of Katolis. The city was livelier than ever, with more friendly smiles and helpful strangers aiding each other than she would have ever thought possible. Almost a quarter of the population here was elven now and, though extremely rare, she knew that there were a few Halfling children that called Katolis home.

She drew the gaze from many a passerby as she made her way to the castle. It wasn’t a surprise: her story was well-known to most, and she visited often. Lately, however, she had been noticing people looking at her in a different way. She shouldn’t have been surprised by that either, really. Rayla was a young elf in her prime. Her body had grown to the envy of many of her peers, and she wore her long hair draped around her neck in a fashion that was more tantalizing than strictly necessary. Though she had no interest in entertaining such distractions, she would be lying to herself if she said she didn’t enjoy the attention.

“Greetings, Rayla,” said one of the castle guards as she approached. Rayla recognized the young woman. She had always wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps, and her grandmother’s before her. She came from a long line of defenders.

“Hello, Lexis. I trust the job is going well?”

“Absolutely, my Lady. How were your travels?”

Rayla shrugged. “Nothing particularly exciting, but I can’t complain.”

“Either way, I am happy for your safe return,” she said warmly. “But on to business: The king has requested your presence at your earliest convenience.”

“Oh... Is everything okay?”

“It’s not my place to know, my Lady. I am only passing a message from the captain.”

“Very well, I’ll make my way to the throne room then. Thank you, and keep up the good work.”

Lexis responded with a salute as Rayla entered through the heavy wooden door of the castle.

The interior always sent a wave of nostalgia crashing over her. As much as the city outside had grown and changed, the castle halls were exactly as she remembered them the first time she had come here on a mission of revenge. She walked to the throne room slowly, taking in all the memories along the way.

“I was told the king sent for me,” she told the guards when she reached her destination. One of them was a moonshadow elf, and he took her in before responding. “Oh…ah, the king is not here right now, my Lady… but he should return shortly. You are more than welcome to wait inside.”

“You have my thanks, kind sir,” she said teasingly as she sauntered into the room beyond. She laughed as she inwardly chastised herself. When had she become such a shameless flirt?

The moment she closed the door she was greeted by an exhausted voice. “Rayla, you’re back.”

Rayla turned toward the sound and spotted its source. The old man stood from a desk near the throne, purposefully hidden from immediate view. He staggered a little before grabbing the staff that rested nearby, long white beard shuffling papers as it dragged across the table. “How did the conference go? I hope those old geezers didn’t give you too much trouble,” he jested, laughing at his own joke before the laughter turned into a hacking cough.

“Are you alright?” Rayla asked worriedly as she rushed to his aid. He seemed to be having a great deal of trouble standing, even with the staff for support.

“To be honest with you, I—“ He stopped as one of the doors in the back of the room opened to reveal a handsome man with dark skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. “Oh… greetings, your Majesty.” The old man bowed to the king, though what he could manage barely qualified as more than a nod. The king nodded back.

“I see you’ve found Rayla. Good work.” He turned to her. “I have a need to speak with you. Will you walk with me?”

“Of course, your Majesty.” Rayla glanced at the older man, reluctant to leave him alone.

“Don’t worry, sweet moonchild,” he said with a wrinkled grin. “I can make it back to my desk on my own.”

The king took Rayla’s arm in his and led her into the western corridor. “I thank you for taking on the conference in Del Bar in the Archmage’s stead. I know he feels badly about it, but he really did need to sit this one out… which is why I need to speak with you.”

Rayla frowned. “The medicine didn’t help him, did it?”

The king shook his head. “He doesn’t want you to know, and I’ll probably catch an earful from him when he finds out I told you,” he said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “But you have a right to know… given your history.”

Rayla stopped walking, forcing the king to come to a halt. She looked him in the eyes. “How long?”

The man let out a pained sigh. He could feel her start to tremble on his arm. “It’s hard to say for certain. There are many factors to consider with this sort of—“

“How. Long.”

“A month or two, at the most.”

The king stopped Rayla as she turned to bolt down the corridor the way they had come. He held her shoulders firmly in his hands. “It’s not going to be of any help to him if you go running back there to scold him for not telling you and confine him to his bed. He’s not helpless quite yet. Let him have a few more days of dignity.”

She fell to her knees there in the hall, holding her head in her hands to stay the sorrowful wails. It didn’t help. The king kneeled down and wrapped his arms about her, holding her tightly and ignoring the looks from the servants and guards as they passed by.

Several hours later, Rayla found herself in the Archmage’s quarters. She had cried all the tears she was able to for the time being, so she waited patiently seated on the bed for him to return from his day’s work. Her eyes drifted across all the drawings tacked onto the walls. The images captured everything from a catalogue of Xadian flora to detailed panoramas of the first Peace Festivals. Many were of her. Rayla looked from one sketch of herself to the next, and it was like watching herself grow up from the outside.

The door handle clicked and Rayla was up in an instant. She watched as the door slowly opened to reveal the wizened Archmage of Katolis. He was not expecting anyone to be in his room.

“Gah!” he shouted as he jumped back a step, clutching at his chest. “Rayla… oh, I am far too old for those tricks of yours, young lady,” he scolded.

“Sorry,” was all she could bring herself to say. She waited for him to enter the room and close the door behind him before she carefully pulled him close.

“Not that I don’t appreciate your affection, but what’s wrong? I haven’t caught you skulking around in my bedroom for quite some time,” he chuckled. His bemused look faded as she pulled away and he saw the pained look on her face.

“That bastard told you, didn’t he?”

Rayla nodded. The man sighed and mumbled irritably to himself as he made his way to seat himself on his mattress. His companion joined him out of old habit.

“I wish I’d have heard it from you,” she said, not meeting his gaze. “I was so sure it was such a simple thing, and you would pull through it like you always do, but… Callum, what if I hadn’t made it back in time? Even now I don’t think I…”

Rayla could feel her composure breaking. Callum’s use of primal magic had extended the years of his life beyond what was thought possible for humankind, but he was no elf. She had known from the start that his time would come, and now that it was here she couldn’t fathom why she felt so unprepared for it.

She felt a hand start to stroke her hair softly. It was so much lighter and frailer than it used to be.

Due to her frequent and extended visits, Rayla had her own quarters that were assigned to her directly across from Callum’s. They had remained untouched for the first seventy years or so, but as Callum aged he had found it easier to sleep on his own. Though he always insisted that Rayla was welcome at any time, she had resolved to maintain a distance for the sake of his comfort until she eventually started to feel strangely about entering without permission. That distant feeling was gone now as she lay curled up on the edge of his bed, watching him as he slept to make sure he was still breathing.

A nurse had been assigned to him to keep him comfortable. She stopped by every couple of hours to check on things, but Rayla had insisted upon taking up most of the woman’s duties herself. She wanted to suffer as many of these final hours as she could, allowing herself to feel every bit of joy and pain and love that the years had wrought.

“Rayla… is that you?” Callum asked, his voice harsh and weak all at once.

“Aye, I’m right here,” she said softly as she reached out to place a hand on his chest.

“I’m glad.” He put a shaky hand over hers. “I was never expecting to outlive everyone else I ever cared about. I think if you had gone before me, I probably wouldn’t have lasted as long as I did.”

Rayla fought the stinging in her eyes. “What about the king? He’s Ezran’s blood. He’s your family.”

“The king has a family of his own.” Callum managed to turn his head just a little, so he could see her. “ _You_ are my family, Rayla.” He coughed out a weak laugh as she moved herself closer, wrapping herself around him gingerly as she buried her face in his chest. “I do wish I had been able to give you children. You’d probably have a much easier time letting me go if you had someone else to worry about.”

“That’s a load of bull, and you know it,” she muffled into his shirt.

“Ah, there’s the sharp-tongued moonshadow elf I fell in love with. Please don’t punch me though, I bruise easily now.”

“I’ll try to resist.”

“Rayla, my love… don’t be frightened, but… I can feel myself slipping.”

“Please don’t, Callum,” she whimpered as she tightened her grip. “I’m not ready to let you go.”

“You never will be… but let me tell you something amazing that I learned just now.” Rayla focused her attention with great effort. “I’ve always thought that dying would be scary. There’s that fear of the unknown, of ceasing to exist, of feeling that nothing you ever do matters because in the end we all leave this world… but now I can feel it coming, and it’s not frightening at all. It’s peaceful… it sort of feels like coming home.”

Rayla choked back a sob and kissed him for what she knew would be the last time. His lips felt cold and withered under the bristle of his white beard, but she could feel the corners turn upward under hers in a small smile before she pulled away.

“Rayla, my sweet moonchild… I’ll see you on the other side.”

“Rayla… look at me, child.”

Rayla wasn’t sure how long she had been crying with her eyes shut tight, but when she finally opened them she didn’t recognize where she was. The stone room looked vaguely familiar, but the memories that were fading in and out of her mind were making it difficult to focus.

She realized that her clothes had changed. She was wearing something like the assassin’s garb that she wore when she was a teenager. She looked at her hands, and they seemed just a little smaller than they should have been. Confusion settled over her like a heavy blanket as she reached up slowly to touch her hair. The strands ended a little past her shoulders.

Rayla felt sick to her stomach as she tried to make sense of where she had been only an hour ago. Her brain registered two distinctly different memories.

“Try to relax,” the rich voice spoke again. “Give yourself a moment to adjust.”

“I don’t know what’s real,” she said to the stranger. She had a passing thought that she shouldn’t trust strangers, but logic was beyond her right now.

“You came to me for answers. Do you remember?”

“… Yes,” Rayla responded as she placed a hand on her head. Slowly reality started to reaffirm itself, and she sat up straighter.

“Ah, there we are.” Star-dusted hands gripped her arms, pulling her to her feet. “How are you feeling?”

“How am I _feeling_?” Rayla asked incredulously. She glared at the ancient elf in front of her as she reached up to feel the remains of tears that were still wet on her cheeks. “How can you even ask me that after what you just put me through? What _was_ that?”

“It was merely one of many possible outcomes,” he explained enigmatically. “Your soul had questions left unanswered by your own perceptions. I showed you those of another.” The elf’s face grew softer then, his eyes distant as if lost in a memory of his own.

“If you can bear the pain, the rewards are well worth it,” he said, “… but it is important for you to understand what it means to love a human.”


	22. Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, this one is super ridiculous and not depressing at all. Promise!

“Cassandra, my love,” the man kneeled before the woman in front of him, practically prostrating before her as he thrust an oversized bundle of flowers toward her dramatically. “Would you, fairest of maidens, consent to marry me?”

“Oh, Charles!” The woman said, swooning as she batted her fan to cool her cheeks.

“What is it, my darling?”

“Yes! Yes, I will marry you my strong, handsome man!”

With that, the strong handsome man named Charles stood and dipped Cassandra, the fairest of maidens, as he kissed her passionately. The bundle of flowers fell to the ground, forgotten.

Rayla turned to Callum and Ezran. “Ok… I’m a little confused as to what I just witnessed.”

Today marked the one-year anniversary of the signing of the peace treaty between the Pentarchy and Xadia. It had been a long and hard road, but things were finally starting to settle in and become easier. Rayla still faced some hostility when she came to Katolis, but it was less intense each time. No one had even bothered trying to attack her during her current visit… yet.

“It’s a pop-up play,” Ezran explained. “It’s like a regular play, except they can happen _anywhere_ , at _any time_ , with no warning.” He emphasized every word as if he were talking about some scary monster waiting to pounce from the shadows. He was clearly having fun being away from the daily struggles of king life.

“Okay, I guess that’s slightly less weird?” Rayla offered, unsure if she actually concurred with the words as she spoke them.

“What is it that you find so strange?” Callum asked. “I know Xadia has plays. You told me about some of them, remember?”

“It’s not that, it’s just… that interaction seemed beyond belief. What were those two people supposed to be doing?”

Callum stopped walking. “Wait… are you serious right now?”

“It was a marriage proposal,” Ezran said, always the helpful one.

“But I thought you humans liked to arrange your marriages?”

“Only if you’re lucky enough to be born into the nobility,” Callum sighed mirthlessly.

“Dad proposed to mom,” Ezran reminded him, resuming their walk. “He used to tell us stories about it. It was soooooo romantic.”

“So, what? People just admit their feelings and intentions for each other in front of the sun and moon and everyone?”

“Of course!” Ezran said cheerfully. “That’s how you know it’s official. You have to get the whole town talking about it.”

Callum gave his brother a questioning look. “Ez, I don’t think that’s actually the motivation behind it.”

“What if the other person says no?” Rayla asked. “That would be super humiliating, wouldn’t it?”

“They hardly ever say no,” Ezran assured. “Most people wait until they are sure they love each other before proposing… or at least until they are bound by politics and don’t have a choice. How do elves do it?”

“Much less dramatically,” she said with a grin. “If two elves want a deeper bond then they’ll have a private ceremony, but it doesn’t bind them to stay together forever or to have offspring like your human marriages,” she explained, rolling her eyes a little as she elbowed Callum. “To be perfectly honest, elves don’t usually bother with such bonds unless they’ve already been together for a while, and sometimes not even then.”

“You and Callum have been together for a while. Do you think you two will ever get married or…bonded?”

Callum stumbled as his foot forgot to pay attention to the road and hit the raised edge of a cobblestone. “Ezran, you know we’re not supposed to talk about that,” he said in hushed tones. “The Council has been looking for an excuse to marry me off for two years. I’d prefer you didn’t make it easy for them.”

Ezran tapped his chin thoughtfully as they walked, when suddenly his eyes lit up with excitement. “I have an idea.”

“Well tell it to go away. Your ideas always seem to have it out for me,” Callum grumbled. His anxiety only increased when he pulled Rayla aside to whisper something in her ear. She muffled a chuckle before continuing to conspire with the mischievous king.

“Guys, c’mon… whatever you’re plotting it’s probably a bad idea.”

“It’s okay, we’re done plotting now,” Ezran said reassuringly.

Callum crossed his arms. “Oh, so you _admit_ to your crimes?”

“What crimes?” his little brother said smugly. “I’m the king, I get to make the rules.”

“Yeah, that’s not how—wait, where’s Rayla?”

Ezran shrugged innocently. It was the same look that bait wore when Ezran insisted the glow toad had not eaten someone’s snack. Callum narrowed his eyes, “Ez…”

“Callum, my darling!”

Callum balked as Rayla strode toward him with an armful of fresh-cut flowers extended melodramatically. It made him cringe a little. “Rayla, _what are you doing_?” he said through his teeth under a nervous grin. “If the Council—“

“Fear not the Council, my beloved! They cannot stop that which binds us. We are as flowers and spring! Lightning and thunder! Peanut butter and jelly!”

“Rayla. You need to stop.”

She did not stop, instead kneeling before a mortified Callum and bowing low. “Marry me, my dumb human prince!”

Callum said a silent prayer and braced himself as he prepared to counter Rayla’s dramatics in the most diplomatic way he could think of.

“Peanut butter and jelly cannot stop the will of the Council, my elven goddess! They guide the hand of the kingdom, and I am but a pawn in the game of politics!”

A sizable crowd was starting to gather around them now, much to the young king’s entertainment. Callum tried not to notice them, particularly the few that were scowling in disgust.

“Then play their game, my dear. Let us be wed under moonlight in the elven fashion. They may move you to their bidding, but they won’t possess your heart!”

A small round of applause arose. Rayla bowed from her kneeling position, grinning as she started tossing flowers from her bundle to the crowd.

“I accept your proposal.”

Rayla was expecting Callum to take this opportunity to end their little game. His words made Rayla falter in her revelry. They were still in line with the improvised scene, and still at a volume for all to hear, but they lacked the dramatization that characterized the act.

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, dearest,” Callum responded, back on track with the melodrama.

“Then let us live two lives,” she roared back, “one for us, and one for the world!” She threw what remained of the bundle of flowers into the air, and they rained down as she rose and surprised her prince by dipping him in the manner she had seen the other actor do. Mixed shouts of pleasure and revulsion emanated from the audience as Rayla kissed him climatically, and longer than strictly necessary.

“Well, that was fun,” Rayla said after she had pulled Callum back to his feet and the crowd began to disperse. “Great idea, your Highness.” She laughed and gave Ezran a palm slap before turning to her disgruntled prince. “I’m kind of surprised you went along with it.”

“It was that or stand there awkwardly while you confessed your undying love to me in a busy square…” he said drily, “but don’t worry. I’m already planning my revenge against the both of you.”

The three of them continued on their way, talking and laughing and enjoying the celebration. Amaya watched them from the shade of an awning on one of the nearby buildings. _They’re hopeless_ , she signed to Gren.

_Yes, but they make such an adorable pair,_ he signed back with a stupid grin on his face. _It’s hard to look away._

She sighed in exasperation. _I’m going to go prepare my next defense against the Council. If any of them catch wind of this bit of theatrics, you are to simply tell them that pop-up plays are held in high favor by the youth of the city._

_As you command, General._


	23. Marriage

“Hold still! You’re going to make me mess this up.”

Rayla pursed her lips in concentration as she brushed the ink across Callum’s chest. He was making it very difficult.

“But it tickles!” he laughed. “I can’t help it.”

“You won’t be laughing when I screw this up and you’re stuck with the ugliest bond mark anyone’s ever seen.”

“How could you possibly mess up? I thought that was the whole point of me making the stencil for you.”

“Stencil or no, it’s going to get somewhere it’s not supposed to if you don’t…”

“EEEeeeeheeheeeeeeeeeeeee!”

“…STOP MOVING.” Rayla pulled back for a moment to give them both a break. “Unlike the stuff on our hands, this ink doesn’t fade in a few days… or even decades. It’s _permanent.”_

Callum brought his hand to his face again, admiring the red mark from where the dye-soaked cloth had been tied. Rayla had one to match. He started laughing again.

“Seriously? I’m not even touching you now.”

“I know, I know…. I was just thinking about how mad the Council would be if they found out about this. Can you imagine their faces?”

Rayla couldn’t resist smiling at the thought. “They’d have an absolute _fit_ ,” she agreed, “all the more reason for you to quit your giggling before this brush lands on your face. You’ll have a hard time hiding it then.”

Callum took a breath and tried his best to remain as still as possible. His skin tingled as she worked, tracing the lines of the pattern he had designed. It was an interesting custom that elves had, to mark themselves for different stages of their life. The patterns contained symbolism and meaning unique to the individual, so that no two marks ever looked the same.

“There,” Rayla sighed as she lay the brush down and began stretching out her arms. “All finished… _finally_.”

Callum sat up, careful not to touch the ink as it needed an hour or so to dry. His view of the pattern wasn’t ideal, but he could make out most of the sweeping lines that covered the left side of his torso, centered on his heart. They bore a similarity to the pattern of Rayla’s horns, which was a common theme for bond marks. She had suggested it jokingly, then called him a cheesy sap when he liked the idea.

“It looks perfect,” he said with a grin, “…thanks to my fantastic stencil-making skills.”

“You know, if you weren’t wet with ink I would punch you for that.”

“Why do you think I took the opportunity?”

“Laugh it up. I’m the one that got the better mark out of this deal. It was done by a real artist, you know,” she said proudly as she puffed out her chest. The image she bore was one that only she and Callum would recognize as a stylized combination of the ‘aspiro’ rune overlaying the uneven towers of Katolis: the perfect representation of her mage prince.

When the ink dried, the pair made their way to the edge of the caldera to bathe. Like everything at the Moon Nexus, the water was pleasantly warm contrary to the altitude. The moon overhead was just starting to alight with the darkening of the sky, and both of them could feel its pull.

Callum whispered a spell, and suddenly they were standing in a shallow pool on the glowing face of the moon itself. He kissed his wife in her moment of surprise, relishing their union as she let out a delighted squeal and melted into his embrace. They laughed and celebrated, tracing the new lines on their wet skin and splashing about like tireless children into the night.


	24. The Ball

Amaya stood by the throne, one of perhaps five women in the entire castle who wasn’t decked in finery from head to foot. Her eyes scanned the room, alert to any possible threats before a tug on her arm broke her focus. Ezran looked up at her from his seat, then pointed worriedly to the center of the room. Callum was there, surrounded by a circle of noblewomen. Not too far off was Rayla, wearing something that she considered to be formal elven attire even though it bore a striking resemblance to her usual acrobatic, skin-tight apparel. She was staring daggers at Callum’s entourage.

_They look miserable,_ Ezran signed roughly. His movements were still not as smooth as his brothers, but he had picked up on the language fairly quickly after Amaya had relieved herself of her duty at the breach to stay at the castle with her family.

_They’re just going to have to suffer with the rest of us,_ Amaya told him. … _You don’t think she’ll cause any trouble, do you?_

Ezrans eyes widened a little as he looked away, refusing to say anything more. Amaya resolved to watch that part of the room a little more closely.

“It’s SO impressive that you can do magic,” said one of the girls surrounding the prince of Katolis. Her blonde curls bobbed as she spoke. “Maybe you could show us what you can do?”

Callum looked around nervously. “Oh, I uh… don’t think now is really—“

“I hear you’re quite the adventurer,” said another with bronze skin and a sultry voice. “Tell us a story about your time in Xadia.”

“I wouldn’t know where to start—“

“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing some of your art. You’re very good,” said one with freckles and brilliant green eyes.

“What? How? And, er… Thanks, I guess?”

“I want you to draw me like one of your elf girls.”

“OOKAAYYY… time for a bathroom break!”

Callum bolted as fast as was socially acceptable, ducking through a balcony door and closing it behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief, enjoying the fresh air while it lasted. Soon he would be pulled back into the tangled web of politics as the Council pulled their strings to find suitable wives for himself and Ezran.

Inside the ballroom, the simpering cluster of eligible ladies dispersed as the musicians began to play a well known and loved tune. The air was alive with joviality as almost everyone in the room fell into place, stepping in time with the beat and switching dance partners at regular intervals. Even Ezran hopped off his seat, dragging is reluctant armored aunt with him.

Rayla eyed the scene for a few seconds, just long enough to be able to recognize the simple pattern of movements.

“May I cut in?” she asked a couple as their twirling came to a halt. The man bowed to her and offered his hand, which she ignored as she grabbed the pretty woman he had been dancing with and spun her between the other dancers.

“Oh… you must not be familiar with this dance since you’re not from around here,” she said nervously. “You’re taking the man’s role.”

“Am I? Oh, what a shame. I bet you’d much rather be dancing with that prince you’ve been flirting with all night.”

“Well, I… ” the girl flushed, unsure of what to say to this Xadian stranger. Her blonde curls bounced around her troubled face.

“He’s very good with magic, you know… probably good enough to put a curse on someone if they get on his bad side.”

She went pale as the dance shifted them away from each other, and Rayla was dancing with a new partner.

“You seem a little confused,” the sultry voice stated as Rayla grabbed the woman around her waist.

“Or maybe I just have a thing for princesses,” she purred. “I bet you’ve heard all kinds of stories about the boorish intimate activities of Xadian culture.”

“B-but I’m not a princess,” she stammered.

“Oh? Weren’t you attempting to solicit the prince just now?”

“No… no that was someone else.”

“My mistake,” Rayla said, twirling away.

“Hi, Rayla!”

“Ezran? Are you dancing the girl’s part?”

He shrugged. “Aunt Amaya is the manlier of the two of us,” he said, earning a hearty laugh from Rayla. “What are you up to, anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that innocent face you’re making right now isn’t fooling anyone.”

She winked at him “Just getting rid of some of the competition.”

She dipped and twirled the king about her dramatically to their mutual entertainment before changing hands once again.

“Oh, it’s you!”

“Yes, it’s me,” Rayla said skeptically. “Do I know you?”

“Oh, no, I don’t think so. I’ve just seen some of the prince’s sketches of you.”

Rayla raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And where might you have procured such a sketch?”

“I have my ways.”

“Your ways being that you snuck into his bedroom to take a peek at it? Because that’s the only place he keeps it when he’s not carrying it.”

The girl’s freckled face scrunched in annoyance. “You can’t prove anything.”

“You’re right, but I can sneak into _your_ room tonight. You wouldn’t be able to detect a moonshadow elf… I wonder what sort of interesting things I would find?”

“What do you want?” she said coldly, narrowing her eyes.

Rayla dipped her low to the ground and patted her on the cheek. “Stay away from my prince.”

Rayla let the girl drop to the floor. She was about to make her exit when the dance shifted and she was whisked away yet again. She wasn’t expecting to see Callum in front of her.  


“Why hello there, sad prince. Are you dancing the lady’s part, too?” she asked amusedly.

“Am I? Ezran just grabbed me to trade places with him a few seconds ago because he was getting tired.” He said as he smiled at her. “I guess that explains why Commander Gren was the first one I was dancing with.”

Her brief spin with Callum put Rayla in high spirits, so she decided to finish the dance… scaring off a few more suitors along the way.

“You know, this night hasn’t been nearly as bad as I thought it would be,” Callum said optimistically as the last of the guests left for the evening. “When we started I thought the Council was going to have me drowning in unwanted attention, but after the first hour or so it seemed like all the girls stopped trying. Kinda weird…” His expression changed then. “Wait, I don’t have something stuck in my teeth or anything, do I?”

“No, you don’t.” Gren assured. Amaya was elsewhere, so he was speaking for himself. “Your wife just scared away all the fine ladies the Council had picked for you.”

Rayla almost choked on her own spit. Callum’s eyes went wide as they darted about every which way. “How did you hear about that?” he whispered.

“Oh, right… I’m not supposed to know about you two eloping,” he whispered, as if that would change the fact that he was privilege to secret information. “But don’t worry, your secret is safe with me! So romantic…” he sighed before remembering himself and clearing his throat. “King Ezran told Amaya about it a while back. He’s gone with her now, to try and make peace with the Council. I should probably be joining them.”

They watched Gren as he merrily trotted away. Callum visibly deflated, letting his hand drag down his face. This couldn’t possibly end well.


	25. Honeymoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna try to make these last few chapters short and sweet for my own sanity, but we'll see what happens... sometimes I just can't stop typing.

“Prince Callum,” Councilor Harkas announced. “The Royal Council of Katolis has reviewed your appeal for matrimonial abstinence. Based Upon your claims, and those of General Amaya and King Ezran, we have come to a final decision.”

Callum held his breath.

“In the best interests of the Kingdom, you are expected to pursue your magical abilities as they relate to the defense and prosperity of Katolis. To prevent distraction from this goal, you are hereby released of your duty to marry and sire children, so long as the following conditions are met… “

The prince didn’t even fully take in the rest of what the council was saying. Amaya had to keep a hand on his shoulder to stay his excitement.

“First, that our King Ezran remains alive and in good health. Second, that he provides an heir to the Kingdom within fifteen year’s time. Third, the Council reserves the right to arrange your marriage should you have a change of heart. Fourth, that you sign the provided written agreement of these conditions… And fifth, that General Amaya must also accept, sign, and abide by all conditions herself.”

“You… oh… oh my. She is _not_ happy.” Gren was too polite to translate the things that Amaya was signing to the Council.

“General, we implore you to be reasonable regarding our conditions,” the Councilor pleaded. “These are highly unusual circumstances during times of prosperity. You and the prince are the only family the King has right now. Should his time pass before an heir is produced, Gods forbid, Katolis would be lost. We require your cooperation by reason of contingency.”

Amaya signed something angrily to Gren, then stepped outside the room. “She says she’ll be right back.”

Callum waited with nervous anticipation for his aunt’s return. She had always been exempt from the traditional rules of court due to her esteemed military prowess. Neither of them had predicted that Callum’s appeal to the Council would lead her to have to choose between her nephew’s happiness and her potential freedom.

A few minutes later Amaya returned. She looked determined rather than angry.

“Fine,” she said. “Give us the stupid contract.”

_Aunt Amaya, you don’t have to do this for me_ , Callum told her privately. _Your happiness is just as important as mine._

_I do have to do it, but not just for you. As much as I am loath to admit it, the Council is right: The kingdom is standing on a weak foundation._

Rayla was pacing outside of the Council Chamber when the doors finally opened. She immediately resumed a casual stance so as not to draw suspicion. Callum was the first one through the door, and he was beaming.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing her by the hand and bolting down the hallway before anyone else could spot them.

He stopped at the guest chambers that had been assigned to Rayla, quickly opening the door and ushering her inside before following and closing it behind him.

“Good news, I take it?”

“The best!” He said as he grabbed her in a bear hug and spun them both about the room. “They’re not going to try to marry me off anymore! As far as they’re concerned, I’m married to the kingdom of Katolis.”

The next morning Rayla was awoken by a knock on her door. She stumbled out of bed, surprised by the intensity of the sunlight pouring in from her window. It wasn’t like her to sleep in so late.

“Can I help you?” she asked grumpily as she opened the door to reveal a lanky serving man holding a small box.

“I am here to deliver a gift for Prince Callum from his aunt, General Amaya. I was instructed to hand this over to you for delivery in the event that he doesn’t answer his door. It seems that he is a heavy sleeper this morning.”

“Probably worn out from all that magic practice,” she said as she took the parcel and waved the man off hurriedly.

“Hey, sleepyhead. Package for you.” Rayla chucked it at Callum, and he groaned in protest.

“It can’t possibly be time to get up yet,” he said as he forced himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes and searched for the object that had struck him amongst the mess of sheets strewn haphazardly around him. He found the small box, turning it over curiously before opening it.

“What’s this supposed to be?” Rayla asked, reaching over to inspect one of the crescent- shaped objects inside.

“I don’t know,” Callum admitted. “They kind of look like honey candies. Hey, there’s a note.”

Callum read aloud from the small piece of parchment:

_Dear Callum,_

_I know it’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad we were finally able to beat the Council… mostly anyway. I had the cook make these for you last night. Enjoy the “honeymoons,” they are as close as you’re going to get to one with all the magic studies you just signed up for._

_Love always,_

_Best Aunt Ever_

“How modest of her,” Rayla smirked. “She’s right, though. I never would have thought I’d say it a few years ago, but she’s probably my third-favorite human.”


	26. Pregnancy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Rayllum was pretty low-key in this one, but I wanted to be different and this idea amused me.

“I’m so excited!” Ezran said, Bait at his heels as he watched the carriage roll through the streets below. “We haven’t seen them in such a long time.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Callum agreed. Rayla stood beside him. She was being quieter than usual, but that was to be expected. She and the arriving guests had a strained relationship at best.

After what seemed like an hour, the carriage finally stopped before the trio. The driver dismounted from his seat to open the door for his passengers, and promptly flew backward though the air as the door was forcefully kicked outward by a steel boot.

“AAAaaahhhh…. Smells like home!” Soren said as he strode out of the carriage, careful not to trip on the man lying carelessly in the street. He bowed low to Ezran. “Your Majesty.”

“You don’t have to be so formal when it’s just us,” Ezran insisted as he and Callum helped up the driver. “Wait, where’s Claudia?”

“Probably throwing up all over the seat,” Soren said tactfully.

Ezran looked to the carriage sympathetically. “Is she sick?”

“Yeah, with the most _annoying_ disease ever.”

“I can hear you, you idiot,” came a weary voice from inside. Ezran ran over to check on Claudia. “And pregnancy is _not_ a disease.”

Ezran, Callum, and Rayla had matching wide-eyed expressions as Claudia stepped from the carriage, looking very ill and very much with child.

“Wow, you’re really going to have a baby? That’s so exciting!” Ezran said as he placed his hands and ear to her belly. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl? What are you going to name them? We should host a party to celebrate!”

“Yes, hopefully a girl, Delilah, agreed,” Claudia answered with a smile.

“So… you’re pregnant,” Callum stated obviously. “Then, um…. who….?”

“Who’s the father?” Claudia finished for him. “Well it’s kind of a funny story, actually.”

Soren snorted. “It’s funny because she managed to trick some poor sap into bed when she was too drunk to stand. Ouch! Hey, quit it!”

When Claudia felt she had properly slapped some sense into her brother, she shrugged. “It’s not my fault he’s dumber sober than I am when I’m wasted. He’s a traveling cleric… well, he _was_. I kind of ruined his vow of chastity. He was _amazing_ though.”

Callum scratched his head uncomfortably. “Wow, uh… that’s probably more than I needed to know.”

Suddenly tears sprung from Claudia’s eyes. “He has to spend a whole year repenting for breaking his vow,” she sobbed. “And it was all my fault! Why did I have to seduce a man of the cloth?”

“Here we go again,” Soren said, rolling his eyes and patting Claudia’s back dispassionately. “There there, it’s not your fault he couldn’t resist your persistent advances.”

Claudia continued to wail as small band of passing soldiers stopped to look in her direction, concerned.

“Why don’t you let me show you some of the spells I’ve been learning?” Callum quickly suggested in an effort to cheer her up. “I’ve been trying to teach other humans how to open up to primal magic.”

“Oh my gosh, I would _love_ too!” She cheered. Her happy expression was unsettling underneath the tears that still had enough momentum to stream down her face.

“Great!” Callum said. “Why don’t we go get something to eat, then I can show you where I practice?”

“Oh, I don’t know… the very thought of food makes me want to…hrlch!” Claudia covered her mouth with both hands as her cheeks expanded. “False alarm.”

“That’s ok, we can eat later,” Ezran offered.

“You know what I could really go for? Some fish pancakes with mint jelly.”

“…But you just said—“

“If I don’t have fish pancakes in front of me by the time I get to the gate, someone’s gonna get turned into a toad!” Claudia demanded, taking slow but purposeful strides toward the castle. Bait changed color in resentment of her statement. “Also, I need to _go._ Bathroom first, fish pancakes second… or someone’s going to have an unpleasant mess to clean up.”

Soren grimaced as he ran to beat her to the door. He seemed to take her threats very seriously. Ezran trailed on his heels.

“Callum?”

“Yes, Rayla?”

“If you ever do that to me, I’ll murder you in your sleep.”


	27. The Baby

Ezran stared challengingly at his older brother, daring him to open his mouth and incur the wrath of the King of Katolis.

Callum twiddled his fingers about. “So….” he said meekly, “have you—“

“NO, for the last time I have NOT heard anything from Zym regarding Rayla. I will tell you WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING TO SAY.”

Callum sighed and once again resigned himself to practicing magic for the rest of the evening. He had a lot of new spells to work on that he had acquired on his recent expedition into Xadia. It was a productive trip for both himself and Rayla: She had been asked by the dragon queen herself to fill in for a member of the Dragon Guard, who had fallen ill and was unable to perform her duties. Callum tried not to think about how much he missed her every time one of them had to go off on a solo venture, which was frequently as of late. She was probably loving it over there at least, being able to spend time with her parents and all.

Callum found his room and entered, closing the door behind him. He took a deep breath as he focused on the rune for one of the milder earth spells. His fingers began tracing the air. He didn’t get very far before he heard a knock at his door.

“Coming…”

On the other side of his door, the king glanced at him in defeat.

“Rayla says ‘Hi’.”

“Really?” Callum alighted. “Can you see her?”

“Yeah,” Ezran affirmed, relaxing a little and offering a small smile. “She seems happy.”

Callum stepped out of the way to let his brother in. Ezran flopped down onto Callum’s bed. “That’s great! How are her parents?”

The king closed his eyes in concentration for a moment. “They’re doing well. They really want to meet you, apparently. By Rayla’s expression, I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be a good thing or not.”

Callum coughed and shifted uneasily. “Oh… well, that sounds like an interesting topic for later. How is Zym? He must have gotten so big since I last saw him.”

“Zym’s doing great!” Ezran happily informed. “He’s so big now, I bet all three of us could ride on his back.” The young king lowered his voice to a whisper. “Just don’t tell the queen I said that. It’s rude to solicit rides from dragons.”

“Wow, I can’t believe how fast he’s growing. Last time I saw him, he was only a little bit bigger than I was…” Callum’s focus drifted as he became lost in memories of the past. “You know, I still think of him as the cute little baby he was when all this began. He was small enough for us to carry in one arm, and ride on our shoulders."

Ezran closed his eyes again, then smiled broadly. “Rayla says this is why the two of you don’t need children, because you already raised one long before you were even qualified.”

Callum frowned in thought for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. “Doesn’t that mean we’d make even better parents now? Since we’ve had practice?”

“Mmm…” Ezran said as he listened to the voices in his head. “She doesn’t want to talk about that right now… She didn’t say why.”

“Oh…” Callum deflated a little. Callum had accidentally brought up the topic of half-elf, half-human children the last time he was with Rayla. She had immediately shut down, not wanting to discuss anything about it, even jokingly. The event had left Callum feeling a little strangely about it all. As great as it was to have a connection to her through Ezran and Zym, he needed to talk to her in person.

“If it makes you feel better, Zym thinks of you two as his first parents.”

“Wow, really?” Callum grinned in spite of himself. “So does that make you his uncle?”

“No, silly! I’m his brother.”

“Wait… that would make _me_ his brother, too. Then what does that make Rayla?”

Ezran rolled his eyes. “You’re over-thinking it. Dragons don’t think of family structures in the exact same way we do. You guys are the parents, I’m the brother. Just go with it.”

“I wonder how his actual mother feels about all that,” Callum smirked.

“Oh, she _hates_ it,” Ezran said, amused. “Zym told me that she’s particularly unhappy that he’s picked up on our language a lot faster than Draconic. It’s ok though. We brought him back to her, so we’re safe from her wrath even if she _is_ a little peeved about our influence on him.”

“That’s good to know,” Callum said. “I’d hate to be on her bad side.”

“Rayla has to go,” his brother informed him suddenly. “Duty calls… she wants me to tell you that she and her son have plans to go sky-diving.”

“What?! No way, you said dragon’s think it’s rude to take riders!”

“No, I said it’s rude to ask a dragon for a ride. If the dragon offers it’s totally different.”

Callum grumbled to himself. Ezran started laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Rayla asked me if you were jealous. I told her she got you, ten out of ten!”

“You just wait, Rayla. I’m going to plan a special father-son trip, and it’s gonna be way better than all the stuff you’re doing!”

“She says she can’t hear you over the sound of the wind and clouds rushing past her,” Ezran giggled. “It’s a joke, obviously. They haven’t even gone outside yet.” He closed his eyes again. “She said we should do something together as a family. All four of us. Plus Bait.”

Callum smiled. “I’d like that.”


	28. The Dinner

“Thank you all for coming,” King Ezran announced from a raised platform that had been specially constructed for this event. The elves and dragons had each offered an inspiring speech to the gathering, and now it was his turn. He took a deep breath, glancing at the other rulers of the Pentarchy seated at the table to his right and the group of sovereign elves similarly seated to his left. Then his eyes fell on his family, and all hesitation left him.

“Seven years ago we were on the brink of war. There was so much needless death, spurred by revenge and misunderstanding. For hundreds of years we had been at odds with each other because no one was willing to sit down and talk and listen.

“The dragon prince Azymondias, an innocent, almost paid the price for the wrongdoings of history with his life, before he had even hatched… And I almost paid with mine. The fighting took so much from all of us, and countless more innocents could have died in that spiral, but we all got lucky: There was one person who questioned the right thing, who _hesitated_ ,” Ezran smiled to where his family stood in the back of the room, at full attention to his words. “Rayla was sent to take my life, but she didn’t. It made my brother and I hesitate, too, and as we traveled we noticed that more and more people hesitated because they started to see something in each other that they had previously been blind to: That despite our differences, underneath our horns and scales and extra fingers, we’re all people who laugh and cry and _love._ ”

Ezran voice cracked, and he paused to wipe away a tear that had managed to escape his control. He was briefly embarrassed by it; what kind of king was he that he cried at a simple dinner speech? But as he looked around the room, he saw a number of shining eyes and wet faces, elven and human alike.

“We’re here today because through this hesitation we all have managed to stop a war, negotiate peace, and now finally formalize a new alliance… but in the spirit of the love I just mentioned, I have one more thing to share with you. Callum, Rayla, would you come here please?”

He watched as the two of them slowly left the open vestibule where Zym had made his stay, clearly wary of whatever the young king had in store for them. Amaya and Gren gave them a knowing look as they passed by her. Ezran chuckled inwardly.

“For all my preaching about how we’ve come so far to be able to see the good in each other, my brother has me beat. He’s a living example of everything I’ve been saying, as is Rayla...”

“Ez, _what are you doing_?” Callum murmured between his teeth. Rayla had opened her mouth to speak, clearly not afraid of being a little louder in order to put a stop to the king’s shenanigans, regardless of the fact that he was standing before peers on both sides of the border and a room of fully-invested subjects.

“…because these two love each other so much they got married!” He said hurriedly before Rayla could stop him.

Soft gasps and whispers filled the room. The dragons that were listening from outside the canopy’s colonnade shuffled their wings. Callum and Rayla had gone pale. Ezran quickly shushed the gathering so that he could finish his thoughts, and his brother and sister could stop panicking.

“They eloped without telling anyone except for me and Lujanne,” Ez gestured at the moon mage, who smiled as she nodded, “because people weren’t ready for what they felt for each other, and the things it would force them to see… And they’re probably really mad at me right now for telling all of you about it.” The daggers in their eyes as they turned to glare at him were proof enough of that.

“But you two can relax, because as of today your marriage is officially recognized by both Xadia and the kingdom of Katolis.” Ezran grabbed a sizable stack of parchment from its resting place on a shelf of the low podium.

“Callum, you remember all those Council meetings Aunt Amaya and I wouldn’t let you attend?” Ezran said with a mischievous grin. “It was because of this. We didn’t tell you about it because we really didn’t think it would work… well, Aunt Amaya doubted, anyway… and we didn’t want to get your hopes up.” Ezran held the stack of papers high for all to see.

“My brother had been forbidden to marry anyone outside of the Council’s choosing, with the reasoning that he needed to be ready to sire up some heirs to the throne if I couldn’t. This charter, as part of the agreements between Xadia and the Pentarchy, hereby restructures the acquisition of the ruling authorities of Katolis. We will be led by a king or queen that the Council deems capable and passionate enough to do so, similar to the way dragons run things. Maybe it will be one of my future children, but it doesn’t need to be, nor does it need to be anyone of any relation to myself, nor does it have to be someone who was lucky enough to have been born into the pampered life of a noble.” Ezran turned to his brother, who was looking at him like he didn’t recognize the man he had become. “It’s what Dad would have wanted.”

Without forewarning Callum seized his brother with such a grip that the king almost dropped the charter in his hand. When he finally let go there were tears in his eyes. Rayla stood behind her now-publicly-known husband, still too shocked to move. Callum took her hand in his.

“This is what everyone needs to see,” King Ezran continued. “There are still people that will disapprove of their happiness, that will try to deny them the bit of solace they have found in each other. I ask all of you to make those people hesitate. We aren’t entering a new era by latching onto the things that held us back in the past. We’re stronger than that.”

The room was silent at first, but slowly filled with jubilant applause. The dragons outside roared with approval.

“That’s about all I have to say on the matter today,” King Ezran said when the volume had returned to a reasonable level. “I know you’re all dying to discuss all the technical matters of the alliance, like trade and Dark Magic regulations. I hope you all enjoy this meal together as we look to the future. Let’s eat!”

Rayla pulled Callum aside as the air filled with the hum of conversation and the smell of food.

“Are you alright?” Callum asked. “That was a pretty intense and life-changing moment that Ezran just chucked at us.”

Rayla didn’t speak. Instead, she grabbed him by his collar and crashed her lips into his, ensuring that he couldn’t speak either.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said as she pulled away. Callum just nodded, and they left the evening of celebration to host a small one of their own.


	29. Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3

Callum left the Council meeting feeling exhausted. There were always so many meetings… It was a wonder anyone could get any of the things done that were discussed in those meetings, with all the meetings that they had every day.

He decided a walk outside would do him some good, and so he made his way to the courtyard. The twilit sky set a calming mood over him as he breathed in the cooling summer air. He sat on the bench by the only tree, enjoying the peace of the evening.

After a time, his ears picked up a pleasant tune. It was faint, and Callum stilled his breath as he strained to listen. He closed his eyes as the hauntingly sweet melody grew louder, closer, until he realized that he recognized the voice producing it.

He waited patiently for Rayla to round the corner, captivated by her song.

“That’s beautiful,” he told her as she nearly passed by him. She jumped, looking embarrassed as she tucked as strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing before.”

“Yeah, it’s not usually my thing,” she said, flustered.

“Well you don’t need to be embarrassed on account of me,” he assured her. “I love the sound of your voice. What was that you were singing?”

“Oh, you know… just a dumb song that my parents used to sing to me to get me to go to sleep when I was little.”

“So a lullaby?”

“Yeah…” Rayla’s eyes were downcast. Callum realized he may have been wrong to assume her odd manner was a result of embarrassment.

“Hey… is everything alright?”

“I think so…” she said. “Things have just been so… unexpected, lately.”

“I think we can both agree on that point.”

“No, I mean… things are not going the way _I_ expected them to. Do you remember when I told you about that vision of the future that Aaravos showed me?”

“The one where Aunt Amaya walked in as soon as you were done telling me and demanded to know what you had done to make me cry?”

“Yeah, that one,” she confirmed, a small smile briefly forcing its way to her lips. “The details have faded over time, but I still remember what was most important to me, the things that I felt… and I think something has changed.” Rayla looked down at her feet, uncertain of how to explain herself. Callum took her hands in his and gently pulled her down to sit next to him.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know… he said that what I saw was one of many possibilities, but I don’t think I really believed that until recently because in that version we were never… formally acknowledged, I guess.”

“And that means other things you remember might be different,” Callum guessed.

“Exactly.”

“Is that a bad thing, though? I guess I’m not understanding why you seem upset.”

“I’m not upset, just confused, I think. Maybe a little nervous.”

“Nervous about what? And why would that inspire you to sing an elven lulla… oh,” Callum said with sudden wide-eyed realization. “Oh. You’re not…. Are you?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’ve been feeling a little off lately, and I’m afraid to assume anything one way or the other. To be perfectly honest, I’m a little afraid of knowing the answer at all.”

Callum blinked, forcing himself out of the daydream he had caught himself in and returning to the present. “Well, whatever happens we’ll face it together, like we always do,” he said as he pulled her close to him. He held her there for several minutes, just enjoying the simple fact that he could feel her heart beating with his, and her breath that warmed his neck.

“Is it something you would want to happen?” Callum asked once he had mustered the courage.

Rayla smiled into him. “Why do you think I was singing?”


	30. Romantic Flight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2

“WOOOHOOOOOOOO!!!” Ezran screamed with delight as he ducked and twirled across the sky. Callum watched with growing anxiety as Zym proceeded to impress his brother with broad loops and tight corkscrews.

“Be careful!” Callum shouted at them… not that they could hear him, but it made him feel better to shout at something.

“Calm down, Zym won’t let anything happen to Ezran,” Rayla assured with an amused smile. “And your brother isn’t a kid anymore. It’s ok to let him live a little.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said with a sigh as he plopped down on the grassy hill and tried to force himself to relax. Rayla followed suit. “But it’s my job to worry, at least a little. He’s just so far up there… and I can’t even begin to imagine how he’s managed not to fall with all those excessive flips and dives.”

As if on cue, Zym flipped upside-down as he zipped through the air. Ezran flew off, weightless for a moment before he began a rapid plummet face-first to the ground below. Callum shot up immediately, not even registering the hand gripping his wrist.

“Just watch,” Rayla said. “They’ve got this.”

Rayla was right, as it turned out. Zym narrowed his body and dove past Ezran, who was apparently having a splendid time, before spreading his wings and intercepting the king of Katolis.

Callum let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he sat back down. “I can’t believe he’s actually _riding a dragon_. It feels insane to even say it.”

Rayla shrugged. “You get used to it.”

“And I can’t believe you get to do this all the time. It seems so surreal.” Callum’s eyes never left the playful pair above him, though he gladly took Rayla’s hand when she offered it. “Doesn’t it make you sick to be tossed around like that?”

“Sure does, which is why we usually avoid these maneuvers.”

“Wait, Zym doesn’t do all that with you?” Callum glanced at her nervously. “How do you know it’s safe, then?”

“I’m certain Ezran is the one asking him to show off,” she chuckled. “Zym _is_ very good though, and we do practice the more basic tactics fairly often. You know, ones that might be good for something other than making the rider ill. Your brother is in good hands, I guarantee it.”

They watched Zym and Ezran dance about the clouds for several more minutes, enjoying the peace of the late afternoon. The sun hung low on the horizon when Zym finally landed on the hill, wings creating a strong gust as they broke his momentum.

“That was SO much fun!” Ezran said as he slid off of Zym’s back. He landed on the ground shakily, and almost fell over when he took a step forward. Callum rushed to assist him. “It makes walking straight a little hard though… I think I need to lie down.”

“I’m honestly impressed that you’re not covered in vomit right now,” Rayla said, smiling and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Or splattered against the side of the mountain,” Callum said drily. “Were you trying to give me a heart attack?”

“You don’t need _me_ to give you a heart attack,” Ezran said with a sly grin as he lay sprawled out on the grass. “Zym wants to take you next.”

_“_ Does he now?” Callum wasn’t really surprised. Ezran had told him many times that Zym wanted to show them what flying _really_ feels like, and circumstance had brought both of them into his part of Xadia on business. There was no way Zym was going to let them return home without indulging some of his shenanigans.

The dragon let out a purr in response, though it sounded much more like a low growl than it used to when he was younger. He dipped his head down toward Callum, puffing air through his nostrils fondly. Callum fought the urge to take a step back. It was clear that Zym was not full grown when compared to older dragons, but that didn’t make him small by any means.

“Hey, buddy… you’re not gonna throw _me_ around like that, are you?”

“What’s the matter? You nervous?” Rayla teased. “I thought the sky was your favorite Arcanum.”

“I’m not nervous,” Callum said defensively. “I’ve just acquired a reasonable sense of self-preservation over the years.”

“Well you’d better climb on then,” Rayla said as she did just that. “It wouldn’t agree with your sense of self-preservation to offend a dragon.”

“I’ll admit, that is pretty sound logic.”

Rayla offered her hand once she was situated and hoisted Callum up in front of her. She tried and failed to not snicker at his clumsiness, for which she received an exasperated eye roll.

“What?” Callum asked. “You can’t possibly expect me to make this look good. I can barely mount a horse without embarrassing myself.”

“So true!” Ezran declared from his spot in the grass.

“Nobody asked you, Mr. Loop-de-Loop King!”

The brothers proceeded to make silly faces and poke tongues out at each other until Zym got bored with watching the lighthearted exchange. The sky dragon stood up quickly, lurching Callum and Rayla forward. Fortunately she had anticipated this, and steadied the human with an arm around his waist.

“Are you ready?” She asked impishly.

“I don’t know… Is backing out still an option?”

Zym let out a roar in response, beating his wings until his massive body began to lift off the ground.

“…yeah, I didn’t think so.”

Callum held on tightly to whatever handholds he could make out of Zym’s spines, and he managed not to scream as the dragon made a sharp turn to catch the warm thermals rising from the scattered hot springs below. Once they had gained significant altitude the flight leveled off. Callum relaxed a bit, sitting up straighter in order to take in the view around him.

The hill that they had left behind was barely recognizable, and Ezran was completely beyond the point of perception. The nearby mountain ranges looked as if they were detailed onto an elaborate map, with rivers as small silver threads running between them. In the distance, the Breach glowed bright in the fading light of the evening.

“This is amazing,” Callum said in awe, turning to Rayla. His wide grin was being overtaken by his wild, windblown hair as he reached out and brushed his fingertips through a thick portion of the clouds that passed by. “You can see the whole world from up here.”

“Yeah, you can’t get this view riding on a moon phoenix,” she agreed. She still had one arm around Callum’s waist, and he seemed to realize this as she spoke.

“It’s actually pretty romantic,” he said as he leaned against her.

“You want romantic?” She said in a low voice. “I can show you something that’ll send shivers down your spine.”

Rayla removed her arm from Callum and carefully stood, keeping her stance low under the rushing wind.

“Rayla! What are you doing? Sit down!” Callum panicked as he tried to tug her back to him. She caught him off guard as he did this, instead pulling him up toward her. Callum forgot to breathe as he stumbled under the rush of air, only managing not to fall thanks to Rayla’s steady grip.

“I do this all the time. Perfectly safe,” she said, nonchalant. “You trust me, right Callum?”

“Yes, off course I do.”

“Good. Do you trust me more than your sense of self-preservation?”

“Rayla, I don’t think I like the sound of—“

“The answer you’re looking for is ‘yes’.”

Callum gulped. “… Yes?”

“Good enough for me,” she grinned. Without warning she wrapped both of her arms tightly around Callum, dipping low before springing into the air. Zym was no longer underneath them.

Gravity pulled them down hard and fast, clouds racing up past them as the incoming scenery slowly spun below them. Their decent was more controlled than the freefall Ezran had demonstrated before, but it was still exhilarating. Callum let out a frightened yell to accompany Rayla’s excited one until they were both out of breath. When the initial shock subsided, Callum found himself staring at the woman in front of him. Her smile seemed to make her shine as the silvery hair dancing about her face reflected the first traces of moonlight. Both of their hearts were beating stronger and faster, and their breath came in shallow gasps. Callum knew this was a normal reaction after having just been tossed off the back of a dragon at an altitude that surpassed mountains, where the possibility of dying from impact in a minute or so was very real… but for some reason, all he could think about was how perfect Rayla’s lips looked in that moment, and how her eyes sparkled when she looked at him, and how he wanted to—

Suddenly they were lurched forward as Zym expertly intercepted their path of travel. They both managed to get a good hold quickly, and they carefully pulled themselves up so that they were seated facing each other.

“Do you have a death wish?” Callum panted. Despite his tone, he was grinning ear to ear.

“Maybe,” she said smugly. “Want to do it again?”

“Absolutely.”


	31. Rayla's Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1

“This is a bad idea. It’s too open here, we’re sure to be spotted,” Callum told Rayla as he peeked out from behind the small rocky outcropping, one of many that dotted the arid landscape. The formations had been larger and better suited for shelter when they had first entered Xadia, but had become smaller and further apart the farther they traveled. They were little more than boulders at this point.

The scene was nostalgic, yet unfamiliar at the same time. The crystalline lake looked the same as it did years ago, but now there was a trading post and a cluster of small houses on the other side. Everyone was familiar with the road that led to the Breach a few miles away. As deserted as this place used to be, trade had brought settlers to the furthest reaches of the continent.

“I’m telling you, they’re not going to care if we go for a swim. Elves aren’t as weirdly territorial over land as humans are… But if you’re that worried about it you can just cast one of your illusion spells, and no one will be the wiser,” Rayla smirked.

“I could, but they can be tricky to maintain if I can’t keep my concentration. You’ll definitely ruin it.”

She put a hand over her chest in mock offense. “How could you think that?” she asked before leaning in close to him and seductively tracing his collarbone.

“… Think what?”

Rayla laughed heartily.

This stop was one of many places that they intended to visit as they recreated their original journey to return the dragon prince to his mother. The idea had occurred to them on the ten-year anniversary of the reunion, after they had just been complaining about never having time for a vacation. Plans were made, and two months later they started their adventure redux.

They left on Callum’s birthday, first stopping by the Banther Lodge and taking a boat a short way down the river before Rayla became sick of it. They visited Ellis and Ava, the former just as perky and the latter notably frailer in her old age. Time was spent socializing with the moonshadow elves and humans that were still working to restore the Moon Nexus to its original glory. They had sought out old Captain Villads to say hello before turning back and taking the long way across the bay on foot, and they had just crossed the Moonstone Path last night. It was such a strange and wonderful sensation to experience familiar faces and old places in the light of a new era, where they didn’t have to worry about who would spot them or stop them or try to kill them. It was amazing how much those factors had slowed them down before. Currently they were able to take their time and enjoy everything at a leisurely pace, yet they were still making better time than the first go round.

“Well I’m tired of waiting. It feels like the surface of the sun out here,” Rayla complained as removed her boots. “It’s kind of funny that you’re the one hesitating this time. You were so eager for a swim back then that you jumped in with all your clothes on.”

“That wasn’t by choice. _Someone_ made me fall into the lake before I had a chance to strip down properly.”

“Oh? And how precisely was that _my_ fault, as you so insinuated?”

Callum scratched his head. “Actually, I don’t really remember… it was a long time ago. I am, however, absolutely certain that it was somehow your doing.”

“I’m pretty sure that your lack of concentration was to blame.”

“And since you’re the only one skilled enough at breaking my concentration, it had to be your fault.”

Rayla shrugged. “Well, we best stick to tradition then.”

With that said, Rayla gracefully scooped Callum up off the ground and sprinted toward the lake. The prince protested, clinging to her and laughing nervously as her legs began splashing through the water. She attempted to toss him in, but his grip was too strong. Instead, she let herself fall forward on top of him.

They both came up sputtering and coughing and giggling. The giggling turned into such a bout of laughter that neither of them felt like they could breathe for several minutes.

“Are you two alright?” Came a voice from the edge of the water. Apparently the pair had caused enough of a commotion to warrant investigation. They were both a little surprised to see a human man in elven garb. When it was clear no one was dying, the man crossed his arms. “You shouldn’t be swimming out here.”

“I’m sorry if we’re trespassing,” Callum said a little sheepishly. “You see, it’s my wife’s birthday and she just _loves_ swimming _so much_ that I couldn’t tell her ‘no’.” Callum basked in the incredulous expression on Rayla’s face.

“Oh, no, it’s nothing like that,” the man said. “We’re trying to establish an aquatic ecosystem here.” He pointed into the water, where a small group of glowtoad tadpoles was swimming around the red fronds nestled at the bottom of the lake. “It’s still pretty fragile right now, so we’re trying to keep from disturbing it as much as possible. But don’t worry, we’ve blocked off a small area for recreation, and it’s a lot better for swimming than this spot. The water’s much deeper.”

“Oh, that’s just great,” Rayla said with a fake smile that the man didn’t pick up on.

“Come on, I’ll show you where it is and you can swim to your heart’s content. I wouldn’t deny anyone of their favorite pastime on their birthday, of all days.”

Rayla sighed as she dragged her feet to shore, followed by Callum. They lagged behind a little as the man rambled on about the lake and hydroponic theory.

“You owe me for this one,” she said.

“Just say the word, birthday warrior,” Callum laughed. “How should I make it up to you?”

“We’re here,” the man said. A blur of pale flesh whooshed past him as he turned to face his guests, of which only the elf remained. She grinned with satisfaction toward the swimming hole, and he followed her gaze to see the bare backside of her husband as he leaped into the water.

“What?” She challenged the man lightheartedly. “It’s my birthday.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done! I'm glad I was able to follow through with this challenge, even though I thought it might kill me at times. I tried to bring the last chapter full-circle with the same light & fluffy feel as the first chapter, which is the best I could come up with sense it gave me the worst case of writer's block yet. All in all, I consider this first attempt at fan fiction to be a success.
> 
> To all those who commented, I appreciate you positive and encouraging feedback. There wasn't one troll among you. This fan-base really is fantastic.
> 
> I look forward to sleep now, for maybe a week straight, then I intend to read the crap out of everyone else's fan fiction stories. I'm not sure yet if I'll continue to write, but if I do I can guarantee I won't be posting daily. When I retire in a few decades, I'll reconsider.
> 
> Best Wishes,
> 
> ~Dalish_Adrift

**Author's Note:**

> This thing is getting finished. I'll sleep when I'm dead.


End file.
